Privacy, Terms & Donation Policies

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Privacy Policy

This section explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information guided by the principles of Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

What We Collect

When you register to find a signing location:

When you register as a signature collector:

In addition to the information above, Elections Alberta requires that signature collectors provide specific personal information as part of the Citizen Initiative Act. This is a legislative requirement, not a campaign choice.

Elections Alberta may contact you directly to verify that you registered as a signature collector and/or signed the petition. This is part of the legislative process and is outside our control.

When you donate:

We do not store your credit card or payment details. Payment processing is handled entirely by Square, Inc., which maintains its own privacy policy and PCI DSS compliance.

Automatically collected information:

• Analytics data through Vercel Analytics: page views, referral sources, device type, browser, operating system, and country. This data is aggregated and does not identify you personally. Vercel Analytics does not use cookies.
• Server logs: IP address, pages visited, and timestamps, retained temporarily for security and performance purposes.

We do not use Google Analytics, tracking cookies, or third-party advertising pixels.

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

1. Operate the petition — connect you with signing locations, coordinate signature collection, and manage the citizen initiative process
2. Communicate with you — send updates about the petition’s progress, signing locations, deadlines, and milestones
3. Ensure we meet Elections Alberta and legislative requirements — primarily ensuring you are an eligible Albertan and that Elections Alberta can contact you to verify you registered and/or signed
4. Process donations — issue receipts and comply with Elections Alberta contribution reporting requirements
5. Improve our websites — understand how visitors use our sites so we can make them more effective

We will not:

• Send unrelated marketing or advertising
• Share your data with political parties, candidates, or unrelated campaigns
• Sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party

Who We Share Information With

We may also disclose personal information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority.

Your Consent and Rights

By providing your information through our websites, you consent to its collection, use, and disclosure as described in this policy.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by:

• Clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send you
• Emailing us at info@coalpetition.ca with the subject "Unsubscribe" or "Delete My Data"
• Calling or texting us at 587-325-5421

Under PIPEDA and PIPA, you have the right to:

1. Access — Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
2. Correction — Request that we correct inaccurate information
3. Deletion — Request that we delete your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
4. Withdraw consent — Stop receiving communications at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information above. We will respond within 30 days.

Data Retention

• Registration data: Retained for the duration of the petition campaign plus one year, unless you request earlier deletion or legislative requirements specify a different retention period
• Signature collector records: Retained as required by Elections Alberta and the Citizen Initiative Act
• Donation records: Retained as required by Elections Alberta regulations
• Email subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe
• Analytics data: Aggregated data retained indefinitely; no personal identifiers

Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information:

• All data transmitted over HTTPS (encrypted in transit)
• Database hosted on Neon (PostgreSQL) with encrypted connections
• Payment processing handled by PCI DSS-compliant Square
• Access to personal data restricted to authorized campaign personnel

No method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Terms & Conditions

By using our websites, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use our websites.

Registration

When you register on our website, you agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information
• Keep your contact information current
• Use the site for its intended purpose of supporting the petition

Signing the Petition

The citizen initiative petition requires physical, in-person signatures on official petition forms. Registering on our website does not constitute signing the petition. Our website helps you find signing locations near you and stay informed about the campaign.

Signature Collectors

If you register as a signature collector, you agree to:

• Follow the rules and procedures established under Alberta’s Citizen Initiative Act for petition signature collection
• Collect signatures only from eligible Alberta voters
• Handle petition forms and signer information responsibly and in accordance with applicable privacy laws
• Provide accurate personal information as required by Elections Alberta for collector registration
• Complete any required training or registration steps

Signature collector registration is a legislative requirement under the Citizen Initiative Act. Elections Alberta may contact you to verify your registration.

Prohibited Conduct

You agree to not:

• Submit false or misleading information
• Use the website to harass, threaten, or intimidate others
• Attempt to access other users’ accounts or personal information
• Interfere with the website’s operation or security
• Use automated systems (bots, scrapers) to access the website without our permission

Intellectual Property

All content on our websites — including text, images, logos, and design — is owned by or licensed to the Water Not Coal campaign. You may share and reproduce our content for non-commercial purposes related to supporting the petition, provided you attribute it to the Water Not Coal campaign.

Third-Party Services

Our websites use third-party services including:

• Vercel for website hosting
• Square for payment processing
• Amazon Web Services for email delivery
• Twilio for SMS notifications
• Google Maps for location services

Your use of these services is subject to their respective terms and privacy policies.

Disclaimer & Limitation of Liability

Our websites are provided “as is” and “as available.” We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Water Not Coal campaign, its organizers, volunteers, and service providers shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of our websites.

Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Alberta and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.

Donation, Refund & Delivery Policy

Donations

Donations to the Water Not Coal campaign are regulated by Elections Alberta under the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act. Contributions are not tax-deductible.

By making a donation, you confirm that:

• Your contribution complies with the applicable limits set by Elections Alberta (currently $4,600 per person, business, union, or organization)
• You are eligible to make a contribution under Alberta election law
• The information you provide is accurate

All donations support the Water Not Coal campaign's operations, including organizing signing events, printing petition materials, and campaign communications.

Donations are processed securely by Square, Inc. We do not store your credit card or payment details.

Refund Policy

Donations are voluntary contributions to a citizen initiative petition campaign and are generally non-refundable. Refunds may be issued in the following circumstances:

• Processing error — If you were charged an incorrect amount or charged more than once in error
• Unauthorized transaction — If a donation was made without your authorization

To request a refund, contact us at info@coalpetition.ca or call 587-325-5421 within 30 days of the transaction. Please include your name, the date and amount of the donation, and the reason for your request. Approved refunds will be returned to the original payment method.

Delivery Policy

Donations to the Water Not Coal campaign are contributions to support a citizen initiative petition. No physical goods, products, or services are provided in exchange for your donation. There is nothing to ship or deliver.

Upon processing your donation, you will receive an email confirmation and receipt sent to the email address you provided. This receipt is typically delivered within minutes of your donation. If you do not receive a receipt, please contact us at info@coalpetition.ca or call 587-325-5421.

Children's Privacy

Our websites are not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to These Policies

We may update these policies from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. Your continued use of our websites after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policies.