Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 2024

1. Introduction

The Ontario Public Buyers Association (OPBA or subsequently "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals whose Personal Information we collect, use, and disclose. This Privacy Policy outlines our practices concerning the collection, use, and protection of Personal Information in accordance with Canadian privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

2. Definitions

  • Personal Information: Information about an identifiable individual.
  • Collection: The act of gathering Personal Information.
  • Use: The application of Personal Information for a specific purpose.
  • Disclosure: The sharing of Personal Information with third parties.

3. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of Personal Information:

  • Contact information (name, address, email, phone number for the purposes of processing purchases, providing relevant Association information and updates).
  • Financial information (credit card details for the purposes of program registrations, product purchases or membership payments).
  • Demographic information (for collecting membership and/or specific sector data for reporting purposes).
  • User-generated content (for collecting program-specific or membership communications and marketing materials with users’ permission).
  • Technical information (IP address, device information, cookies through the use of our website, conference app, and other digital and social media channels).
  • Other information required for our services (as outlined by third-party providers, in program-specific information and/or registration information or other Association communications).

4. How We Collect Information

We collect Personal Information through various methods, including:

  1. Information provided directly by you
  2. Automatically through your use of our website or digital services
  3. From third-party sources with your consent

A) Information Provided Directly by You

The OPBA may collect and process the following Personal Information: 

  • Contact information you provide when participating in discussion boards on our website or other OPBA social media channels, or when you contact OPBA to make an inquiry/report a problem/concern. This may include your name, address, email address, phone number, financial information and/or credit card information. 
  • Membership information you provide during the application, renewal or OPBA program/event registration process or by your employer on your behalf. This may include your name, credentials, address, phone number and email address (business or personal), age, job title, and any other information related to your membership. 
  • Payment information such as credit/debit card and account numbers used to register or renew your membership, purchase products and/or services, or register for OPBA programs and events. 
  • Purchase information related to purchases made by members and non-members of program/event attendance and participation, course registration, products, and other services. This may include financial information as well as information concerning the content and time of the purchase. 
  • Ethics sanctions related to violations of theOPBA Code of Ethics & Values. This may include information about a member's business or professional activities, including employment information, and similar information relating to other individuals involved in the investigation. 
  • Information related to OPBA volunteer opportunities, education and/or professional development programs.


B) Information Collected Automatically Through the Use of our Website and Digital Services

As you interact with OPBA websites, digital services and/or channels, including but not limited to OPBA mobile apps and social media channels and related OPBA-owned social media content  ( Sites collectively), OPBA may also collect information about your browsing history or certain other information through your use of and visits to the Sites and our use of a variety of technologies, including, but not limited to, Google Analytics, app and social analytics and reporting tools, digital cookies, tags, web beacons, Internet Protocol (IP) address, and other tools. 

"Cookies" are pieces of code/text placed on your computer when you browse OPBA Sites. OPBA or third-party advertisers may place cookies. Tags and web beacons refer to code scripts that are primarily used to track visitors’ activities on our Sites by web analytics software. The types of data collected on our Sites through the use of these, and other tools, as OPBA may add from time to time, may include: the search terms you used, new or returning user data, browser information, computer type, operating system, internet service providers, website usage, referring/exit pages, platform type, date/time stamp, number of clicks, ads viewed, etc. Additionally, cookies, tags and other tools placed by third parties may collect other information about you and your visits to Sites and elsewhere on the Internet including, but not limited to, your industry, company size, job function, seniority level, etc.). 

C) Information Collected Through Third Parties with your Consent

We may receive Personal Information about you from third parties such as social media services, commercially available sources, business partners etc. The Personal Information collected may include your name, contact information and your transactions/purchase history, demographic data, information about your activities on other websites etc. that you would have consented through the third-party provider (i.e. an opt-in form, through specific registration or acceptance of the provider’s own privacy policy and/or terms and conditions).

If, for example, you access us through a social media service then the information we collect may include content the social media service will share with us. The information we obtain depends on your privacy settings on the applicable social media device, and that can be changed by you at any time. When you access us through social media services you are authorizing OPBA to collect, store and use such information and content in accordance with this Privacy Policy. 

5. How We Use Information

We use Personal Information for the following purposes:

  1. To provide our products or services
  2. To process payments and manage accounts
  3. To send promotional and informational materials
  4. To improve our services
  5. To comply with legal obligations

A) Use of Personal Information to Provide our Products or Services

Personal Information may be used in a variety of ways including, but not limited to: 

  • Providing service communications such as bill reminders, order confirmations, invoices, program registrations, program and event information, member and non-member messages including surveys and/or promotional content 
  • Responding to emails or online opt-in requests for programs, services, or information from OPBA and/or our sponsors and partners 
  • Administering, personalizing and improving the usability of OPBA Sites, programs and services 
  • Publishing membership directories and registration lists as described below 
  • Tailoring content, advertising and marketing to audience preferences and actionable behaviours (i.e. clicks, registrations, purchasing activity, program activity etc.)
  • Sharing with third parties as required by law or to protect OPBA as described below 

Directories & Registration Lists 

To allow OPBA members and the public to find and contact public procurement professionals, the Personal Information OPBA receives may be published on OPBA Sites and other print or digital media in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to, directories, membership lists, and other types of registration lists for OPBA programs and events (Directory Lists collectively). Directory Lists that are publicly available on OPBA Sites will only include that of which contact information has already been made public by the member’s agency. Directory lists will never include specific member or personal contact information such as emails without an individual’s explicit consent and/or opt-in and will never contain sensitive personal or financial information. 

B) To Process Payments and Manage Accounts

The Personal Information, including your contact information, membership details, credit/debit card information which you may provide to us upon registering for a program or event, is used only for internal purposes to process your registration fee payment and to contact you or to distribute OPBA-related materials to you, in the event that you have identified this personal contact information as your preferred means of contact. Please see Section 4A above for details.

C) To Send Promotional and Informational Materials

OPBA members provide consent and opt-in to receive emails and other communications from OPBA, our affiliates, sponsors and partners upon their membership application and renewal. Non-members who have purchased a product or service or registered for an OPBA program or event have also explicitly opted-in to receive OPBA communications through their registration. Individuals can opt-out or update their email preferences at any time by contacting us at members@opba.ca

Canada Anti-Spam Law (CASL) 

OPBA complies with CASL. Non-members or those who have provided OPBA with a Canadian mailing address will not receive unauthorized Commercial Electronic Messages (CEMs as defined under CASL) unless these individuals have opted-in to receive CEMs. As part of OPBA’s CASL compliance, and through our membership application and program registration process, individuals are asked to provide their explicit opt-in to receive CEMs from OPBA and our affiliates and are provided with the mechanisms to opt-out and/or adjust their email preferences at any time.

OPBA will never sell or distribute members’ emails, contact information or registration lists without members’ explicit consent. Please note that any third party making such claims in regard to being in possession of or having the right to sell OPBA contact or member lists is not allowed or endorsed in any way by OPBA and should be flagged and marked as spam. Please notify OPBA staff at  members@opba.ca should you receive any suspicious email or phone calls from companies or individuals looking to sell or distribute OPBA-related contact or registration lists.

D) To Improve Our Services

When fulfilling service requests initiated by members, OPBA may share Personal Information with certain third parties to fulfill such requests. OPBA may also share such information with service providers that perform business functions. This includes providing select information as consented to by members through their membership application and/or specific opt-ins to our affinity partners, select program vendors and sponsors, our Association publishers (MediaEdge), and select Association partners. For more information, please contact us at members@opba.ca.

E) To Comply with Legal Obligations

OPBA may disclose Personal Information if required by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to legal requirements or comply with a legal process (b) protect and defend the rights or property of OPBA; or (c) protect the personal safety of OPBA staff, volunteers, or members in appropriate circumstances. In addition, if OPBA and/or its assets (or a portion of its assets) are sold, assigned, transferred, or merged, information may be transferred as part of that transaction or change.

6. Disclosure of Information

We may disclose Personal Information to:

  • Service providers and partners
  • Legal authorities
  • In the event of a business transfer or sale
  • With your consent

See Section 5 above for details.

7. Consent

Your consent is obtained prior to collecting or using your Personal Information. You can withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions. See Section 5C above for details.

8. Security

We take reasonable measures to protect Personal Information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or alteration. However, no data transmission over the internet is completely secure. For more information, questions or concerns, please contact us at 905-682-2644 or members@opba.ca.

9. Access and Correction

You have the right to access your Personal Information, request corrections, or express concerns about our privacy practices. For specific member requests, please contact us at members@opba.ca.

10. Retention

We retain Personal Information for as long as needed for the purposes for which it was collected or as required by law.

11. Updates to Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically. OPBA reserves the right to amend this Privacy Policy at any time for any reason. The latest version will be posted on our website with the date of the last update.

12. Contact Information

If you have questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or your Personal Information, please contact us at:

Ontario Public Buyers Association

850 King St. W., Unit 20

Oshawa, ON L1J 8N5

E: members@opba.ca