Legal
Privacy Policy
What we collect, why, who sees it, and the choices you have.
Maple Lineage Research Inc. ("Maple Lineage", "we", "us") researches family lines for people who may be Canadian citizens by descent. That work involves personal information about you and your relatives, and we treat it with care.
This policy explains how we handle personal information collected through this website and in the course of an enquiry. We follow Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the provincial privacy laws that apply to us, including Quebec's private-sector privacy law for people in Quebec.
Who is responsible
Our privacy officer is responsible for our compliance with privacy law. You can reach them at hello@maplelineage.ca or by mail at 123 Slater St., 6th Floor, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5H2, Canada.
What we collect
Information you give us
- Eligibility check answers. What you tell us about your family line: which relative was Canadian, roughly when and where they and you were born, and which documents your family holds.
- Contact details. Your name, email address and, if you choose to give it, your phone number.
- Anything you write to us. Messages, and documents you send once you become a client.
We do not ask about your current immigration status in the eligibility check, and you don't need to tell us.
Information about your relatives
Family research involves information about other people, living and deceased: names, dates and places of birth, marriages and citizenship. Please share only information you are entitled to share. We use it only to research the family line you asked us about.
Information collected automatically
- Visit and advertising data. When you arrive from an advertisement, our tracking tool records a click identifier, the ad or link you came from, the pages you view, and whether you start or complete the eligibility check or a form.
- Device data. Your IP address, approximate location derived from it, browser, device type and language.
- Browser storage. Small items kept in your browser so the site works and your choices are remembered. See our Cookie Policy.
If you accept optional cookies, advertising pixels from Meta, Google and TikTok also collect information about your visit. They are off until you say yes.
Why we use it
- To reply to your enquiry and review your family line.
- To carry out research and obtain records once you engage us.
- To pass your file, with your consent, to the licensed representative who advises you and files your application.
- To measure which of our advertisements bring enquiries, so we can run them sensibly.
- To keep the site secure and to meet our legal obligations.
We do not sell personal information, and we do not use it to make automated decisions about you. The eligibility check gives a preliminary result from your answers. A person reviews every enquiry.
Consent
We collect and use your information with your consent, which you give when you submit a form and tick the consent box. You can withdraw consent at any time by writing to us. If you withdraw it, we may not be able to continue working on your file.
Who we share it with
- The licensed representative. Only with your consent, so they can advise you and prepare your application.
- Archives and registries. The names, dates and places needed to locate and order a record.
- Service providers. Companies that host this site, deliver our email and forms, and store our files. They may use the information only to provide those services to us.
- Advertising networks. Our tracking tool may report back to the network that showed you an ad that an enquiry was made, using the click identifier that network assigned. If you accept optional cookies, their pixels also receive data directly.
- Authorities. Where the law requires it.
Where it is stored
Some of our service providers store information outside your province or outside Canada, including in the United States. Information held there is subject to the laws of that place, including lawful access by its authorities.
How long we keep it
We keep enquiry information for as long as it takes to respond, and for a reasonable period afterwards in case you come back to us. We keep client files for as long as needed to provide the service and to meet our legal and record-keeping obligations. After that, we delete or anonymize the information. Ask us, and we will tell you the period that applies to yours, or delete it sooner where the law allows.
Your rights
- Ask what personal information we hold about you, and receive a copy.
- Ask us to correct information that is wrong or incomplete.
- Withdraw your consent, and ask us to delete your information where the law allows.
- Opt out of email updates at any time, using the unsubscribe link or by writing to us.
Write to hello@maplelineage.ca. We answer within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our answer, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, or to the privacy regulator of your province.
We email you to answer your enquiry and to deliver the services you ask for. We send updates only if you tick the box asking for them, and every such message includes a way to unsubscribe.
Security
We protect personal information with safeguards suited to its sensitivity, including restricted access and encrypted connections. No system is perfectly secure. If a breach creates a real risk of significant harm, we will notify you and the regulator as the law requires.
Children
This site is intended for adults. A parent or guardian may use it to check a child's possible claim, and in doing so provides the child's information on their behalf.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we will post the new version here and update the date at the top. If a change is significant, we will tell clients directly.