Privacy Policy

Effective date: August 12, 2026

SMART Recovery Canada is committed to protecting the privacy of our volunteers, facilitators, donors, and community members.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how it is used, how it is protected, and your rights regarding that information.

SMART Recovery Canada is a registered Canadian charity providing science-based mutual support meetings across Canada.

SMART Recovery Canada has designated a Privacy Officer responsible for compliance with this policy.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact info@smartrecovery-canada.ca.

What personal information we collect

We collect limited personal information that is reasonably necessary to operate our programs and fulfill our obligations. This may include:

• Name
• Email address
• Phone number (if voluntarily provided)
• Facilitator training records
• Meeting information (for facilitators)
• Donation information (where applicable)
• Purchase information (where applicable)
• Correspondence sent to us

SMART Recovery Canada does not collect, store, or maintain participant recovery records, clinical information, or health data.

Donations may be made anonymously through our donation platform.

How we collect information

We collect personal information when you:

• Register for facilitator training
• Submit a meeting registration form
• Contact us through our website
• Subscribe to communications
• Make a donation

Our website may collect limited technical information such as IP address, browser type, and the pages you visit. We use this only to understand how the site is used so we can improve it. We do not use it to work out who you are, and we never combine it with the personal information you give us when you register, donate, or contact us.

By voluntarily providing personal information to SMART Recovery Canada, you consent to its collection, use, and disclosure in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Cookies and website analytics

When you first visit our website you will be asked whether you agree to analytics cookies. Nothing is set unless you say yes, and you can use every part of the site whether you accept or decline. You can change your choice at any time using the Cookie settings link in the footer.

If you accept, we use Google Analytics to understand which pages people find useful, which resources are downloaded, and how people arrive at the site. Google Analytics is provided by Google LLC, a U.S. company, and the information it collects may be processed or stored outside Canada. We have enabled IP anonymization.

What this does not do. Website analytics does not tell us your name, your email address, or who you are. We do not use it for advertising, we do not build profiles of visitors, and we do not sell or share this information. Analytics information is kept separate from the personal information you provide when you register for training, make a donation, or contact us.

When we do know who you are. We collect information that identifies you only when you choose to give it to us, for example when you register for facilitator training, register a meeting, make a donation, place an order, or send us a message. That information is handled as described elsewhere in this policy.

For more information about how Google handles data, see Google's Privacy Policy.

Why we collect personal information

We collect personal information in order to:

• Maintain facilitator training records
• List and manage SMART Recovery meetings
• Communicate program updates and operational information
• Support volunteers and facilitators
• Process donations and issue tax receipts
• Process purchases and fulfill orders
• Meet legal, regulatory, and governance obligations

We collect only the information that is reasonably necessary for these purposes.

Use of third-party service providers

SMART Recovery Canada uses trusted third-party service providers to support our operations. These may include:

• Pathminder (meeting and facilitator management system)
• Email service providers
• Donation processing platforms
• Website hosting providers
• Google Analytics (website analytics, only if you accept analytics cookies)

Pathminder is a U.S.-based service provider. Facilitator contact information stored in that system may be processed or stored on servers located outside Canada.

For more information about Pathminder's privacy practices, please review their Privacy Policy at pathminder.co/privacy. For questions related specifically to Pathminder's privacy practices, you may contact privacy@pathminder.co.

When personal information is processed outside Canada, it may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is stored. We require service providers to maintain appropriate safeguards to protect personal information and to use it only for authorized purposes.

Cross-border data transfers

Personal information may be transferred outside Canada for processing by trusted service providers. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate contractual and administrative protections are in place.

Retention of information

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to:

• Maintain facilitator training records
• Meet legal and regulatory requirements, including charity and financial record retention requirements
• Support organizational governance

If a facilitator requests deletion of their record, we will remove their active listing and contact information from operational systems, subject to any legal obligations requiring limited retention of financial or training records.

Your rights

Under applicable Canadian privacy law, you may:

• Request access to your personal information
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request removal of your facilitator listing
• Withdraw consent, where applicable

To make a privacy request, contact info@smartrecovery-canada.ca. We may require verification of identity before responding to requests. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

Security safeguards

We use reasonable administrative and technical safeguards to protect personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. While no system can guarantee absolute security, we review our practices regularly.

Updates to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as our systems and practices evolve. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised effective date.