Last updated: October 17, 2026
Privacy contact: privacy@northernlamplighters.ca
About this policy
Northern Lamplighters respects your privacy. We believe that being part of a community means looking out for one another, and that includes taking care of personal information.
This policy explains what information we collect through our website, why we use it, who may process it on our behalf, and the choices available to you.
We aim to be open about our practices and collect only the information reasonably needed to operate our website, respond to inquiries, and support our community programs.
Information you provide
When you contact us through our website or by email, we receive the information you choose to share. This may include your name, email address, phone number, the subject of your inquiry, and the details included in your message.
Our contact form uses different questions depending on the subject you select. For example, a general inquiry may require only your contact information and a message, while an inquiry about volunteering may ask about your interests, experience, or availability.
Some forms may also allow you to upload photographs, documents, or other attachments. We use these files only for the purposes related to your submission.
Please avoid sending sensitive personal information, such as medical details, government identification, or financial information, unless we specifically request it through an appropriate process.
Volunteer inquiries
When you express interest in volunteering with Northern Lamplighters, we may collect information about your availability, interests, experience, and preferred volunteer activities.
We use this information to respond to your inquiry, discuss opportunities, and coordinate volunteer participation.
Certain volunteer roles may involve additional screening or documentation. Where this is required, we will explain the process and how any additional information will be handled.
Email updates and newsletters
If you choose to subscribe to our newsletter or email updates, we collect the information needed to send those communications, such as your email address.
We use this information to share news, announcements, activities, and other updates from Northern Lamplighters.
Subscribing is optional. You may unsubscribe at any time by following the instructions provided in our emails or by contacting us directly.
We do not automatically add people to our mailing list simply because they have contacted us or submitted a volunteer inquiry.
Information collected automatically
When you visit our website, our hosting and security providers may process limited technical information needed to deliver and protect the website.
This may include your IP address, browser and device information, pages requested, the date and time of requests, and server or security logs.
Staff and administrators who sign in may have cookies stored in their browsers to maintain login sessions and remember display preferences. Standard login cookies generally last two days, or two weeks when “Remember Me” is selected. Display preference cookies may last up to one year.
These features help us operate the website reliably and securely.
How we use information
We use personal information to respond to inquiries, communicate with volunteers, provide information about our programs and activities, send updates you have requested, maintain appropriate organizational records, operate and secure the website, prevent misuse, and meet applicable legal obligations.
We do not sell or rent personal information.
We do not use information submitted through our contact forms for unrelated marketing without your consent.
Consent
When you contact us, we use the information you provide to respond to your inquiry or help with the service, activity, or opportunity you’ve asked about.
When you subscribe to our newsletter, you consent to receiving the communications described at the time of signup.
Where additional consent is required, we will request it in accordance with applicable privacy law.
You may withdraw your consent by contacting us, subject to legal, operational, or record-keeping requirements. If we wish to use your information for a new purpose, we will explain that purpose and seek additional consent when required.
Service providers and disclosure
We use trusted service providers to operate our website, maintain security, and communicate with visitors.
These include:
- Web Hosting Canada (WHC): Provides Canadian hosting infrastructure for our website.
- Cloudflare: Helps protect the website from malicious traffic and improve reliability and performance.
- Google Fonts: Delivers fonts used in the website’s design.
- Google Maps: Provides interactive maps and location information.
- CAPTCHA and spam protection services: Help prevent automated or unwanted form submissions.
- 52Hz Media: Designed and developed our website and provides proprietary plugins that support its functionality. These plugins may process technical information from your device, such as your browser type, operating system, screen resolution, device type, and display settings, to help deliver content correctly and provide a consistent experience across different devices. Depending on how these features operate, some information may be processed by 52Hz Media as part of providing and maintaining these services. A credit linking to 52hz.ca also appears in the footer of our website. If you follow that link, 52Hz Media’s own privacy practices will apply.
We may also use Akismet for spam detection and other technical or email service providers needed to deliver messages and maintain website functionality.
These providers may process limited personal or technical information as needed to provide their services or meet their own legal obligations.
Information submitted through our forms may be accessible to authorized Northern Lamplighters personnel who need it to respond to your request or coordinate activities.
We may disclose information when required by law or when reasonably necessary to protect the security of our website, organization, or community.
Although our website is hosted in Canada, some service providers may process information outside British Columbia or Canada, where it may be subject to the laws of that jurisdiction.
Cookies, external content, and analytics
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies for essential functionality, security, and certain third-party features.
Cloudflare and CAPTCHA services may use cookies or other technical signals to help identify suspicious activity and prevent automated submissions.
Google Fonts may receive technical information, such as your IP address and browser details, when your browser requests font files directly from Google.
Pages containing Google Maps may connect to Google’s services, which may collect technical information and use their own cookies or similar technologies.
You can manage or clear cookies through your browser settings, although doing so may affect certain website features.
Our use of visitor analytics is currently being reviewed. This policy will be updated to identify any analytics services that are enabled and explain what information they collect.
External websites and embedded content have their own privacy practices, which Northern Lamplighters does not control.
Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
Contact inquiries and related correspondence may be retained while we respond, manage follow-up communications, maintain appropriate organizational records, or meet legal obligations.
Volunteer inquiries and related information may be retained as needed to review applications, coordinate volunteer participation, and maintain appropriate volunteer records.
Newsletter subscription information is retained while your subscription remains active, along with any records that must be kept to document consent or meet legal requirements.
Server and security logs are retained according to the operating and security practices of our hosting and service providers.
When personal information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to delete, anonymize, or securely dispose of it.
Safeguards
We use reasonable administrative and technical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information we collect.
These include encrypted website connections, access controls for administrative systems, and security services designed to protect against unauthorized access and misuse.
Access to submitted information is limited to authorized people who need it for legitimate organizational purposes.
No method of internet transmission or electronic storage is completely secure, so absolute security cannot be guaranteed.
Your privacy rights
You may ask whether Northern Lamplighters holds personal information about you, request access to that information, ask for a correction, withdraw consent where applicable, or raise a concern about how your information has been handled.
You may also request that information no longer needed for legitimate organizational or legal purposes be deleted.
We may need to verify your identity before completing certain requests, and legal exceptions may apply.
Privacy contact
Northern Lamplighters is responsible for responding to privacy questions, requests, and complaints relating to our organization.
You can reach us at privacy@northernlamplighters.ca.
We will review and respond to privacy concerns within a reasonable time.
You can also learn more about Canadian privacy rights from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or British Columbia’s Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when our website, programs, service providers, or legal obligations change.
The current version will remain available on our website with its latest revision date.
If we make significant changes to how personal information is collected or used, we will take appropriate steps to inform affected individuals where required.