Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

GrownLocal.ca ("we", "us", "our") is a Canadian online directory platform operated in Canada. We are subject to Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation. Our platform is located at grownlocal.ca. For all privacy inquiries, contact us at hello@grownlocal.ca.

2. Information We Collect

From producers who register a listing:

• Business name and description
• Email address, phone number, and website
• Physical address and province
• Product categories and photos
• Social media handles (Instagram, Facebook) if provided

Important: All producer listing information is displayed publicly on the Platform once approved. Only submit information you are comfortable sharing publicly.

From visitors browsing the Platform:

• Anonymous usage data (pages visited, search terms, general location)
• Device type and browser information
• IP address (used for security and analytics only)

We do not require visitors to create an account or provide personal information to browse the Platform.

From contact form submissions:

• Name, email address, and message content

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information only for the following purposes:

• To display approved producer listings publicly on the map and directory
• To communicate with producers about their listing status, including approval, rejection, or required updates
• To respond to contact form inquiries
• To improve and maintain the Platform based on usage patterns
• To process payments for Featured listings via a third-party payment processor
• To detect, prevent, and address fraud, spam, or security issues
• To comply with legal obligations

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party for marketing purposes.

4. Publicly Displayed Information

When a producer listing is approved, the following information is displayed publicly and may be indexed by search engines including Google:

• Business name, description, and product categories
• Address and province (used to place a pin on the map)
• Phone number, email address, and website (if provided)
• Instagram and Facebook handles (if provided)
• Photos submitted with the listing

Once information is publicly indexed by search engines, we cannot guarantee its removal from third-party search results even if the listing is removed from our Platform.

5. Geolocation Data

The Platform may request access to your device's location to automatically display nearby producers on the map. This location data:

• Is used only within your browser session to zoom the map to your area
• Is not stored, transmitted to our servers, or shared with any third party
• Requires your explicit browser permission and can be denied without affecting core Platform functionality

6. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored using Supabase, a cloud database provider. We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS)
• Row-level security controls on our database
• Access controls limiting who can view producer data

While we take reasonable precautions to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data. In the event of a data breach that poses a risk of significant harm, we will notify affected users and relevant authorities as required by law.

7. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:

• Google Maps — displays the interactive map. Subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
• Supabase — database, authentication, and file storage.
• Vercel — website hosting and deployment.
• Resend — email delivery service for notifications.
• hCaptcha — bot prevention on forms. Subject to hCaptcha's Privacy Policy.
• Stripe — payment processing for Featured listings. We do not store payment card information. Subject to Stripe's Privacy Policy.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party services.

8. Your Rights Under PIPEDA

Under Canada's PIPEDA, you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Withdrawal of consent — withdraw consent to our use of your information (subject to legal or contractual restrictions)
• Deletion — request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal obligations to retain certain records
• Complaint — file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe your privacy rights have been violated

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@grownlocal.ca. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Cookies

We use only essential cookies necessary for the Platform to function, including authentication session cookies. We do not use advertising cookies, tracking cookies, or share cookie data with third-party advertisers. You may disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may affect the functionality of certain features such as the producer dashboard.

10. Children's Privacy

GrownLocal.ca is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will delete it promptly. If you believe a child has submitted information to us, please contact us at hello@grownlocal.ca.

11. Data Retention

We retain producer listing information for as long as the listing is active on the Platform. Contact form submissions are retained for up to 12 months. Upon request, we will delete your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it by law or for legitimate business purposes such as resolving disputes or preventing fraud.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered producers of significant changes by email and post the updated policy on this page with a revised date. Continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact and Complaints

For any privacy concerns, requests, or complaints, contact us at hello@grownlocal.ca.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at www.priv.gc.ca or 1-800-282-1376.