Privacy policy

Welcome to montreal.ca!

By browsing our Web site, you acknowledge and accept all the terms and conditions of use set out below.

Share your comments, suggestions or corrections concerning the information contained on our platforms by writing to us.

Acceptance of Terms and Conditions of Use

Before browsing the montreal.ca Web site, registering at My Account or using the Montréal - Resident Services application on your smart phone, read our Terms and Conditions of Use.

La Ville de Montréal (hereinafter called the “City”) makes available to you its Web site, montreal.ca, the Montréal - Resident Services mobile application, and an account providing access to digital municipal services called My Account (hereinafter called the “Platforms”), subject to your acceptance of the following terms and conditions of use (hereinafter referred to as the “Terms of Use”). These may be updated at any time without prior notice. By using the Platforms, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use.

In case of disparity between the English and French version of these Terms of Use, the French version shall take precedence.

Official languages

Under the Charter of the French language, the City is obliged to draft all its texts and documents in French, including internal directives and procedures, permits, public notices, press releases, information leaflets and other documents intended for residents, such as its Platforms. The City, out of courtesy, will often translate certain documents destined for residents into English. Nevertheless, there is no obligation to do so, since Montréal does not have bilingual municipality status.

Except as otherwise indicated, all monetary amounts displayed on the Platforms are expressed in Canadian dollars.

Applicable laws

The use of the Platforms is governed by the laws and courts of the province of Québec and the laws of Canada applicable to them. Any dispute or litigation between you and the City, or any other person, resulting from, in relation to, or concerning the Platforms, their Terms of Use or any related matter will be resolved before the courts of Québec, sitting in the City. You irrevocably submit to these tribunals and you acknowledge their exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute or litigation.

Personal information and private life

Information relating to a physical person and enabling their identification is personal information.

Regulatory framework
The City manages the use of personal information in accordance with the standards set out in the Act Respecting Access to Documents Held by Public Bodies and the Protection of Personal Information (R.S.Q., C. A-2.1).

Collection of personal information
The information required to create a user account is retained by the City (275 Rue Notre-Dame Est, Montréal QC H2Y 1C6). This information is collected to:

• Spare you the need to identify yourself each time you request service
• Improve services
• Correctly respond to your questions, comments and suggestions

Access to the information will be restricted to personnel responsible for management of the Platforms or for delivery of the specific service requested. The information requested is mandatory for account creation. If you do not provide this information, you will not be able to benefit from the advantages offered by the user account. You have rights of access and correction as provided under the Act Respecting Access to Documents Held by Public Bodies and the Protection of Personal Information (bilingual Web site).

Non-disclosure to third parties
The City does not rent, sell, or exchange personal information (for example, name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, etc.) or financial information (credit card numbers) that could be used to identify you. The City undertakes not to disclose such personal information unless it is requested under a legal obligation or a court order or in the context of the execution of a contract entrusted to a third party. When the City retains the services of an external company, it employs all appropriate means to ensure that your personal information is protected in accordance with the laws applicable to the City and that it is collected, used, retained and destroyed in a manner that respects the regulatory framework to which the City is subject.

Security of data
The City takes all necessary measures to ensure that your personal data are not accessible to third parties, other than authorized managers and employees of the City. Your data may be stored outside the country. In this case, the City will do all it can to ensure a level of protection equivalent to that offered for data stored on Canadian soil and will ensure in particular that all applicable legal requirements are met, including those relating to the protection of data.

Geolocation
In the event that the geolocation function is activated on your browser when using the Platforms, the City uses your position only to improve the ergonomics of the Platforms. The City does not track your movements when you use the Platforms. You may disable the geolocation feature on your device at any time, by consulting the manufacturer's instructions. Deactivating the geolocation function may prevent you from accessing certain functionalities of the Platforms, however.

Cookies
Cookies are used to facilitate and optimize your navigation on the Platforms. Cookies are small text files that are downloaded and saved in the memory of the device you use to view Web pages. Cookies used by the City do not enable the collection of your personal information. Most Web browsers accept cookies by default. You may change your browser's security parameters at any time to block the use of cookies or erase those already stored on your device. This action does not prevent you from accessing the Platforms, but could have an impact on their performance during your visit.

Statistics
The City uses Google Analytics analysis tools on its Platforms. These tools collect, analyze, measure and present data on visits to the Platforms, with the goal of understanding and optimizing Internet usage. The City retains this type of information to compile statistics, including on:

• The number of visitors
• The most frequently used pages
• The technology used by its Platforms' clientele
• Referring Web sites
• Users' countries of origin

Data collected by Google Analytics are transmitted outside Canada to Google servers and may be processed in any countries where Google operates servers. These data may be subject to the legislation of such countries. For further information on this analysis tool, refer to the Google Analytics Terms of Service.

Access to your personal information and Right of correction

Under the Act Respecting Access to Documents Held by Public Bodies and the Protection of Personal Information, (bilingual Web site), a person may request access to information concerning him and may have it corrected. Requests for access or correction should be addressed, in writing, to the person in charge of access to information, Me Yves Saindon. For the detailed procedure, visit the Access to Information page.

Intellectual property

The whole of the content of the Platforms is protected by Canadian and international copyright legislation (including the Copyright Act, R.S.C., C. C-24). Download, copying or printing or the modification of texts, illustrations or other data, including source codes, does not entail any transfer of rights to the content.

Images displayed on the Platforms are also protected by the Copyright Act and the laws, policies and regulations of Canada. These provisions serve to identify the information source and, in specific instances, to prohibit reproduction of documents without written permission. It is prohibited to reproduce images from the site, whether in paper or digital format, for commercial purposes.

Non-commercial purposes:

• Instructional purposes
• Personal use
• Personal studies
• Reference
• Research

In addition, the City reserves the right to use photos that have been uploaded to its Platforms as long as they do not contain any personal information.

Content submitted by users
All content submitted by users will be used in accordance with the laws applicable to the information submitted.

Creation of an Account and Use of Digital Services

The account that residents may create on the City’s Platforms (hereinafter the “Account”) is intended for personal use. You may have only one active account and only the account holder is authorized to use it. You may have to provide personal information in order to use the digital services offered on the Platforms. Any information that you provide to the City must always be precise, accurate, complete and up to date.

Password and Account Security
You agree and understand that you are responsible for the security and confidentiality of the password associated with your Account on the City’s Platforms. Consequently, you agree to be solely responsible to the City for all activities that take place in this Account. If you become aware or reasonably suspect an intrusion of any kind, including any theft, loss, disclosure or unauthorized use of your login information, you must immediately notify us.

Minors
No function of the Platforms specifically seeks information from minors nor seeks to determine if the visitor is a minor. Personal information submitted on the Platforms by minors will be treated in the same manner as that submitted by adults. The City strongly believes that parental supervision is an important factor in the use of the Internet by minors. Consequently, the City asks parents to guide their minor children when they are invited to provide personal information online. The City also requests that minors obtain the authorization of their parents before providing information online.

Cancellation of the Account
In the case of conduct deemed inappropriate or non-compliant with these Terms of Use, the City reserves the right to suspend, deactivate or delete your Account.

Denial of a request
In the case where a request to the City does not respect the Terms of Use of the service offered or where the information provided at the time of the request is found to be inaccurate, or for any other reason deemed valid by the City, the latter reserves the right to deny this request. You will then be informed of the closure or denial of the request.

Access to digital services and costs incurred
Access to the Platforms is free. Nevertheless, you may have to assume costs related to connection to the Internet network or the transmission of data on various networks (such as SMS or MMS), depending on how you use the Platforms. You are entirely responsible for these costs.

Deletion of inactive accounts
Accounts that have been inactive for more than 3 years (no connections, requests, changes, etc.) will be deleted. The main administrator will be informed by email 3 months prior to the deletion of the account.

Safety

The City applies high standards and uses strong security systems in the design, implementation and daily operation of the Platforms and the servers and networks underlying it. In addition, the City continues its efforts to detect and block intrusions into or aimed at its Platforms. The City has put in place various means to ensure that your personal information is protected against the risk of loss and theft, and the risks of unauthorized access, communication, reproduction, use, modification or destruction. These means include physical, administrative and technological security measures deemed reasonable given the degree of sensitivity, the quantity and the format of the personal information collected and the storage methods used.

Navigation on the Internet, HTTPS and encryption protocols
When you navigate the Web with your browser, it determines whether communications are adequately protected and displays a padlock symbol in the page to confirm that the communication session is safe. Caution: This does not apply to the mobile application. The City uses the safest encryption protocols available on its Platforms. All confidential data travelling between your communication device and the City's Platforms are protected by effective cryptographic means, thereby ensuring the confidentiality of your information.

Changes to the Site and Third Party Use

Availability of Platforms and accuracy of the information
The City strives to ensure that the information available on its Platforms is complete and accurate. This information comes from sources that the City deems reliable and is regularly updated. It may however contain inaccuracies, omissions, typographical errors or other deficiencies. Consequently, the Platforms and the entirety of their content are made available to the public “as is,” without any warranty of any kind, express or implied. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the City offers no guarantee as to the availability or stability of the content of its Platforms, as to the possibility of access, or as to the precision, reliability or accuracy of the information provided, notably in relation to schedules, the City's partners, legislation and regulations, the availability of the services described, or public calls for tenders. The Platforms regularly undergo technical maintenance operations, which may occasionally limit or prevent access. Be that as it may, the City wishes to clarify that for optimum operation, the mobile application requires a connection to an Internet network.

Links to other sites
The Platforms contain hyperlinks that provide quick access to Web sites belonging to third parties and managed by them. The City puts these hyperlinks at the disposal of users of its Platforms for purposes of convenience and does not exercise any form of control over the content of the sites to which these hyperlinks lead. In addition, the City makes no declaration, gives no approval and accepts no liability in respect of the content or use of such sites. Finally, it is to be noted that information presented on these sites may not be available in French or in English.

User Code of Ethics

Respectful communications
The City makes respectful communications a priority. It invites users of its Platforms to adopt this same principle when they address it and its representatives by e-mail or through the Platforms. It also expects that users of its Platforms will avoid any personal attack, incendiary language or quarrel with other members of the community. Managers and users of the City’s Platforms are also required to uphold this principle of respect in online communications regardless of their form: informational content, visual content (graphics, photographs, etc.), online chat, comments, etc. In the language of the Internet, uppercase characters are equivalent to shouting and can be interpreted as aggression, which can be distressing to other users. Any message containing one or more words in uppercase (with the exception of acronyms and initials) may be rejected.

Rules of Good Conduct
You agree not to use the Platforms to:

• Submit false or inaccurate content;
• Submit content unrelated to the designated theme or subject;
• Submit or make available any unlawful, offensive, discriminatory, racist, obscene, denigrating, hateful, harassing, defamatory, abusive or otherwise objectionable content;
• Harm minors in any way;
• Usurp the identity of any person or entity, or misrepresent through imprecision or deliberate error your relationship with such a person or entity;
• Submit or make available any content that you do not have the right to make available under a law or in any contractual or fiduciary relationships (such as inside information, or confidential information acquired or disclosed in the context of professional relationships or under a non-disclosure clause);
• Submit or make available any content that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other rights of ownership;
• Submit or make available any advertising, chain letters, promotional material, junk mail, spam, pyramid scheme or any other form of unsolicited or unauthorized communication irrelevant to the City;
• Submit or make available any material containing viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment;
• Take measures which would inflict, or could inflict, an unreasonable or disproportionate burden on the City's technological infrastructure or make requests that generate excessive traffic on the Platforms;
• Intentionally or unintentionally contravene any applicable municipal, provincial, federal or international law;
• Stalk or harass others;
• Collect or retain personal data about other users in relation to prohibited behaviours and activities stipulated in previous points.

The City reserves the right to delete any content that does not respect the present Terms of Use, at its sole discretion and without notice. The City will correct any false or misleading information about itself as quickly as possible.

Limitation of Liability

Transmitting information over the Internet is never trivial, nor is it completely secure, and the City cannot guarantee the security of your data transmissions. Any data you transmit are sent at your own risk.

Despite the City’s adoption of a policy on the protection of personal information by its authorized managers and employees, it is possible that such information could be illicitly disclosed or intercepted.

The City shall not be held responsible for any damages whatsoever, direct or indirect, incurred in connection with the use of the Platforms, including specific, punitive, exemplary, accessory, moral or consequential damages, loss of income, lost profits or loss of information, damages for business interruption, loss or erasure of programs or data in an information system, and any other expenses or damages that may result from the use or non-availability of the Platforms. Neither shall the City be held responsible for the algorithms embodied within its Platforms, the incompatibility of any software downloaded or copied from the same, any disruption, defect, processing or transmission delay, or the presence of a virus, worm or digital Trojan horse or other destructive elements, or a power or system failure, whether or not the City is aware of the possibility of such damages, losses or expenses.

Any user of the Platforms expressly waives any recourse against the City and holds it free of any claim, remedy or damages of any nature whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from the use of the City's portal. The user also undertakes to defend the interests of the City, its employees, representatives and agents in any claim, demand, remedies or prosecution against the latter by third parties due to the use of the Platforms by the user and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to indemnify and hold it harmless of capital, costs and interests of any judgement, conviction or decision which may be delivered against it and any amount it may have disbursed before or after judgement in view of the above.

The City is not required to enforce these Terms of Use in your name against another user. Although the City encourages you to let it know if you believe that another user has breached the present Terms of Use, it reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate measures at its sole discretion.

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