Privacy Policy

The Corporation of the Township of Essa respects the privacy of its web visitors.  Our goal is to protect your information on the internet in the same way that we protect it in all the other ways that we interact with you - in our service offices or at your home business location; through mail correspondence; and, on the phone.  Staff adheres to strict policies that protect the confidentiality of any personally identifiable information such as names, email addresses and telephone numbers.

The following statements are made with regard to the use, viewing and downloading of any site content by site visitors.  These statements apply to any site content published under any top level domain ending in .essatownship.on.ca.

Internet cookies are small files that site visitors may choose to accept to download (an option within most internet browser settings).  Cookies are intended to enrich a site visitors experience while browsign site content or when returning to the site an additional time.  Some Township site content uses cookies or scripts to enhance the experience of site visitors.  If site visitors are uncertain about the security of such content, they should consult their browser software and computer security settings.

If you have concerns regarding this Privacy and Security Statement, the Township of Essa has other ways of obtaining and providing information.  Normal mail, telephone and fax amenities are available.  You may also obtain information and services by attending our administrative offices.

The site content (which includes all logos, graphics, documents, designs and source code) unless otherwise identified, is the copyrighted material fo the Corporation of the Township of Essa, or is republished by the Township of Essa under license.  Site visitors may not copy, reproduce, republish, decompile, distribute, poste, display or transmit the site content without the express permission of the Township of Essa.

All information provided on this website is believed to be accurate and reliable.  We will make changes, updates and deletions as required and make every effort to ensure the accuracy and quality of the information provided.  However, the Township of Essa assumes no responsibility for any errors and is not liable for any damages of any kind resulting from the use of, or reliance on, the information contained herein.  

Communications made through this electronic mail and message system shall in no way be deemed to constitute legal notice to the Township of Essa or any of its agencies, officers, employees, agents, or representatives, with respect to any existing or potential claim or cause of action against the Township or any of its agencies, officers, employees, agents, or representatives, where notice to the Township is required by any federal, provincial or local laws, rules, or regulations.

The Township of Essa will not sell, share, lease or disclose personal information to any third party.  We will ensure that personal information will not be disclosed to any individual, agency, or other government authority except as required by Canadian law.  Personal information may be used for statistical or comparative analyses prepared by or on behalf of the Township of Essa, provided that summary results cannot be associated to an identified individual or business.

The Township of Essa records visits to this website and logs the user's server or proxy address, the date/time/length of the visit and the files requested for statistical purposes.  The information is used to analyze our server traffic.  No attempt will be made to identify users or their browsing activities except where authorized by law.

Our website contains links to external websites which are provided for convenience only and may not be current or maintained.  Visiting these external websites is at your sole risk and the Township of Essa will not be responsible or liable for any damages in connection with linking.  Due diligence is performed to ensure "Off Site" links are valid and appropriate but when selecting an "Off Site" link you are leaving the Township of Essa website.  The content of and/or views expressed on "Off Site" web pages and links are strictly those of the external agency, organization or business.  The Township of Essa bears no responsibility for the information, graphics or links.  The materials in this site and the third-party sites are provided “as is” and without warranties of any kind either express or implied.  The Township of Essa reserves the right to accept or deny any requests for off site links.

The Township of Essa is not responsible for the privacy practices of linked websites and shall not be held responsible for any circumstance resulting in a site visitor being directed towards or away from inappropriate content when navigating the World Wide Web.  The Township of Essa is not responsible for the private practices of external websites that are linked to this site.  We encourage site visitors to view the posted privacy statement whenever interacting with any website.  Please report broken or inappropriate links to the Clerk's Department.

The Township of Essa endeavours to share any information deemed accessible under MFIPPA.  Public information may include communications and correspondence addressed to municipal elected officials by members of the public.  These communications may also appear on the public agenda of Committees or Council.  The same Privacy legislation may deem some records to be private or privileged if of a personal nature.  Privacy legislation compels the municipality to review all documents prior to their disclosure.  To learn more about the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, please visit the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner.

For more information, or to submit an FOI request, please visit our Freedom of Information Page.

Normal browsing of site content will not result in the disclosure of personal information.  From time to time, the Township of Essa may collect personal information through on-line forms.  When site visitors are presented with an option to complete an on-line form, a disclosure statement will be provided that describes the purpose for the collection of the information and its intended use.

Only authorized personnel of the Township of Essa that need access to personal information collected using on-line forms are granted access, and this access is regulated under Privacy legislation with regard to further use analysis and disclosure.

Where necessary, this website uses industry standard encryption technology to keep personal information safe.  This technology does not protect site visitors from any virus, worm or trojan that may already be infecting a visitor's system, nor does it protect a site visitor from physical risks such as computing in a public place where personal information may be viewed by others on a computer screen.  There are inherent risks in using the internet and the Township of Essa recommends that site visitors use current technology to protect themselves and minimize these risks.