Privacy Policy
Welcome to Women in Urbanism Canada (WiUC). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect personal data when you interact with our website (www.womeninurbanism.ca), our membership services, newsletter, events, and other programs.
By using our services or providing us with your information, you can consent to the collection and use of our data in accordance with this policy.
1. Information We Collect
We collect personal information through various systems that support our community, including Squarespace for website and email communications, MemberSpace for membership management, Zoom for event registration, and Stripe as our secure payment processor for donations and membership fees. Alterna is our financial institution, and while we don’t collect data directly through them, banking transactions may involve information being stored or transferred to Alterna. We only send email communications to individuals who have affirmatively opted in, and all emails include an option to unsubscribe in compliance with applicable anti-spam laws such as Canada’s Anti-Spam legislation (CASL). From time to time, we may also integrate third-party services to support our operations.
2. Data Storage and Retention
Our website is hosted on Squarespace. Member information is primarily managed through MemberSpace, and financial data related to membership fees and donations is securely processed and stored via Stripe. We also maintain internal records, such as member mailing lists and email management files using Google drive, primarily to update and manage communications sent through Squarespace. While we do not currently encrypt data at rest or in transit, we implement organizational safeguards such as access restrictions and internal data handling policies to protect personal information. We retain membership, donation, and user information for as long as necessary to fulfill our organizational purposes.
3. How We Use Your Information
WiUC does net sell personal data to third parties. We may share non-identifiable demographic or location-based information without trusted service providers or consultants to help us better understand the communities we serve and improve our programs. Any data shared for these purposes is anonymized and does not include personally identifiable information. The member directory is visible only to other members within the members within the platform and is not shared beyond that. We don’t disclose member directories, profiles or other personal information without explicit permission consent of the individuals involved.
4. Sharing and Disclosure of Information
We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share information in the following circumstances:
With service providers who support our operations (e.g., email communications, payment processors, hosting).
Where legally required to comply with applicable laws or regulations.
With your explicit consent for specific purposes.
5. Cookies, Tracking & Similar Technologies
We may use limited cookies or tracking tools on our website to improve user experience. We do not use advertising, remarketing or third party tracking cookies. Our analytics data is accessed directly through Squarespace’s built-in tools and we don’t share this data with external analytics providers..
6. Sensitive Information
In certain cases, we may collect sensitive information such as gender identity or other demographic data to better understand and serve our community. This information is used solely for legitimate organizational purposes and is handled with strict confidentiality. Access to sensitive data is limited to authorized staff and board members, and in many cases, not all individuals have access. Additionally, our systems are protected by robust security measures, including two-factor authentication, to safeguard personal information.
7. Payments and Transactions
All payments are processed securely through third-party Stripe, and we do not store payment card details in our systems.
8. Jurisdiction and Applicable Law
As a Edmonton-based national organization, this Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of Alberta and applicable Canadian privacy regulations. We do not provide services outside of Canada.
9. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do:
We will post the updated version on our website with a new “Last updated” date
For significant changes, we may provide more notice (e.g. via email)
Continued use of the Services after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy
10. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:
Women in Urbanism Canada
Email address: hello@womeninurbanism.ca
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the relevant privacy authority in your province or Canada’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner.