Privacy Policy
Dated November 30, 2021
1. Duty of the Institute and Governing Legislation
2. Definition of Personal Information
3. Collecting Personal Information
4. Using or Disclosing Personal Information
4.1 Disclosure of Personal Information to the Public
4.2 Disclosure of Personal Information to or from Employers
5. Retaining Personal Information
6. Access to Personal Information
7. Correction of Personal Information
8. Safeguarding Personal Information
9. Complaints
10. Website Privacy
10.1 Cookies, IP Addresses, and Links to Other Websites
10.2 Regarding Third Parties
10.3 Third Party Links
11. Other Institutes and CPA Canada
12. Other Parties
13. Updates to the Privacy Policy
1. Duty of the Institute and Governing Legislation
The Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Saskatchewan (“CPA SK”) is a self-regulatory body established by The Accounting Profession Act (“the Act”) to protect the public in the province of Saskatchewan. Bylaws, Board Rules and the Rules of Professional Conduct (collectively known as “Rules”) were established in furtherance of the Act.
Through the Act, Bylaws, Board Rules and Rules of Professional Conduct, CPA SK administers strong policies for our registrants in keeping with our mandate of protection of the public. Our Privacy Policy describes the collection and disclosure of personal information of our registrants, contractors, volunteers, and the public in general. You consent to the methods in which we use your personal information when you use the CPA SK website, online Portalor annual registration renewal online.
Throughout this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to CPA SK. “Registrant” refers to all members, firms, or candidates that are registered with CPA SK, as defined in the Act.
CPA SK is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal information of its registrants, Board members, committee members, staff, contractors, and agents who provide services to or on behalf of CPA SK. CPA SK will comply with the requirements of the Act and The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (“FOIP”) and will use fair and reasonable practices to meet its obligations under the legislation and any other applicable law.
2. Definition of Personal Information
This Privacy Policy covers the following:
- Members and Firms in good standing, suspended or former,
- Candidates registered with CPA Western School of Business,
- Members, Candidates, Students and Firms of any legacy bodies (such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Saskatchewan, the Society of Management Accountants of Saskatchewan, and the Certified General Accountants Association of Saskatchewan, collectively or separately).
- Non-registrants (i.e. the general public) who register an account through the CPA SK Portal online.
For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, “personal information” means information about an identifiable individual.
CPA SK collects the information outlined in Rules. For a detailed list, please contact registrar@cpask.ca.
3. Collecting personal information
CPA SK is permitted to collect personal information for reasonable purposes and as otherwise permitted by applicable law. When collecting personal information, CPA SK will:
- Limit the collection to what is reasonable to achieve the purposes for which the information was collected or for a use that is consistent with that purpose;
- Ensure that all individuals have the right to request access to their personal information which CPA SK collects about them;
- Ensure that all individuals have the right to seek correction of their personal information if that personal information is incorrect; and
- Comply with the applicable privacy legislation in Saskatchewan and Canada, including the Act and this Policy.
4. Using or disclosing personal information
CPA SK will only use or disclose personal information for the purposes for which it was collected, or for a use that is consistent with that purpose. All personal information collected is held in strict confidence and is not disclosed to anyone outside of CPA SK except as indicated in this Privacy Policy, authorized by the Rules, or unless such disclosure has been expressly or implicitly authorized by the registrant.
In addition, the Act requires that the Board shall maintain a register of registrants, which includes the full legal name, municipal location, category of registration and other items in the Rules available for public inspection.
For Members, the register is made available on the CPA SK website here: https://member.cpask.ca/CPASK/Member-Firm-Search-Pages/Find_a_CPA_Member.aspx
For Firms, the register is made available on the CPA SK website here: https://member.cpask.ca/CPASK/Member-Firm-Search-Pages/Find-a-CPA-Firm.aspx
4.1 Disclosure of Personal Information to the Public
Disclosure of personal information may be justified or permitted under legal duty or right, and CPA SK may disclose such information without consent. If, in the opinion of CPA SK, it is appropriate or necessary to disclose personal information due to a legal duty or right, CPA SK will only disclose such information that is necessary to fulfill such legal duty or right.
Broadly, disclosure of personal information may include publication of a disciplinary order. Specifically, CPA SK may publish the names of members who have been found guilty of professional misconduct or incompetence and the particulars of a disciplinary order, as specified in the Act.
CPA SK may publish names and particulars related to restrictions, suspensions, cancellations or expulsions of registrations due to non-compliance with the Rules through publication on the CPA SK website or via other means.
4.2 Disclosure of Personal Information to or from Employers
A registrant’s personal information may be disclosed to their employer upon request, as permitted by the Act, without express consent from the registrant. Disclosure of personal information without a registrant’s consent includes the full legal name, municipal location, and category of registration of the registrant. A registrant consents to the disclosure of their information upon registration renewal annually.
Disclosure of personal information to a registrant’s prospective employer may include a letter with the registrant’s full legal name, exemption status, registration status, and date of designation.
CPA SK may request personal information from and disclose personal information to the registrant’s employer or prospective employer in the event that CPA SK investigates a complaint against the registrant for the purposes of the investigation only.
5. Retaining personal information
CPA SK will only retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which the personal information was collected, or where possible, should the registrant request their information be destroyed.
Personal information about a former registrant is not actively maintained and, for so long as it is held by CPA SK, CPA SK cannot assure the accuracy of such information.
Personal information that is no longer required to fulfill the purposes for which the information was collected is shredded and/or disposed of in a manner that safeguards the confidentiality of the information.
6. Access to personal Information
A registrant has access to such personal information as listed above through the CPA SK Portal online (https://member.cpask.ca). Alternatively, a registrant can request access to their personal information by submitting a written request to the Registrar by email (registrar@cpask.ca) or by mail:
Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Saskatchewan
101-4581 Parliament Ave
Regina, SK S4W 0G3
7. Correction of personal information
CPA SK will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the personal information obtained is accurate and complete. In the event of a correction, registrants are encouraged to use the CPA SK Portal online (https://member.cpask.ca) to update personal information whenever possible but may also make a change request to the Registrar by email registrar@cpask.ca or by mail:
Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Saskatchewan
101-4581 Parliament Ave
Regina, SK S4W 0G3
8. Safeguarding personal information
CPA SK takes reasonable steps to protect personal information collected in accordance with the Rules and any applicable law. CPA SK has made appropriate arrangements to safeguard against unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, disposal or destruction of personal information. All CPA SK staff and volunteers are required to comply with policies and procedures in relation to the security, management, and protection of personal information within the custody or under the control of CPA SK.
CPA SK uses the following methods of protection:
- physical measures, including the storage of personal information in locked filing cabinets and restricting access to offices;
- organizational measures, including controlling access to databases and limiting access to personal information to a "need to know" basis;
- technological measures, including the use of firewalls and passwords for personal information stored electronically;
- investigative measures, such as where CPA SK has reasonable grounds to believe that personal information is being inappropriately collected, used or disclosed; and
- reasonable security measures to back up data in the case of a disaster and/or catastrophe.
9. Complaints
If an individual is dissatisfied with the way CPA SK has handled their personal information, they are entitled to submit a complaint to the Privacy Officer via email or by mail:
Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Saskatchewan
101-4581 Parliament Ave
Regina, SK S4W 0G3
The Privacy Officer will investigate all complaints concerning compliance and make every reasonable effort to resolve complaints including, if necessary, recommending changes to policies and procedures.
Any individual may seek advice from the Office of the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner (https://oipc.sk.ca/) and, if appropriate, file a written complaint with the Commissioner’s office; however, individuals are encouraged to submit a complaint to CPA SK’s Privacy Officer first.
10. Website Privacy
Access to the Portal online requires the preferred email address for Members and a registrant identification number for Firms. Personal information collected through the Portal will only be used by persons authorized by CPA SK to access the information for the purposes provided in this Policy.
10.1 Cookies, IP Addresses, and Links to Other Websites
CPA SK may use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with tailored information. Cookies allow us to know that you're logged in and help us to administer our marketing activities and perform analytics. A cookie is an element of data that a website can send to your browser, for storing on your hard drive so we can more easily recognize you when you return to our website. You may set your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie and you may choose to decline, delete or disable cookies. You should be aware that if you do so you may not be able to access or run certain applications that are on our website.
CPA SK’s website logs IP addresses, but not the email addresses, of visitors. This real time information is aggregated, logged, and used to measure statistical information about usage of the site, including the total number of visits, page errors, average time spent on the site, and pages viewed, both in real-time, and within a certain historical time frame. CPA SK uses this aggregated information to measure the use of our website and to improve its content and usage.
CPA SK uses Google Analytics. This tool uses cookies to collect and generate information about your visits to our website (including your IP address) that is transmitted to their servers in an anonymous form for processing. We study patterns of website activity so we can improve the experience of visitors to our site. Google currently offers a free Google Analytics opt-out tool. Click here for the tool. CPA SK may also use marketing software to enable personalization services.
CPA SK’s website may contain links to other internet sites owned and operated by third parties. While we try to provide a link only to sites that share our high standards and respect for privacy, we are not responsible for the content or the privacy practices of those sites. Since you are solely responsible for deciding whether to visit any particular site, we strongly recommend that you review the privacy policies applicable to those other websites before you proceed to visit the site or provide any personal information there.
10.2 Regarding Third Parties
CPA SK does not sell personal information to third parties. Third parties are contracted by CPA SK to assist in operating our website and providing services to our registrants; therefore, these third parties may have access to personal information, if necessary, in certain circumstances.
General
CPA SK collects and uses confidential information communicated between registrants and their clients. CPA SK will take reasonable measures to protect that information in accordance with the Rules and any applicable laws.
Contractors
All contracts entered into by CPA SK with contractors that may have access to personal information will contain specific provisions requiring compliance with the Rules and any applicable law relating to the security and privacy of personal information.
All contractors that may have access to personal information in the custody or under the control of CPA SK will be advised and reminded as necessary of this privacy policies and our obligations to ensure the security and protection of personal information.
10.3 Third Party Links
CPA SK may link to third-party websites. These websites have separate and independent privacy policies. CPA SK assumes no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites.
11. Other Institutes and CPA Canada
In order to meet its regulatory and other mandates and in accordance with the Rules, CPA SK does exchange both personal or private information and other membership information, either in response to specific inquiries or more generally, with the following affiliated organizations:
- Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada)
- The CPA Western School of Business (CPAWSB)
- “Provincial Institute” means a regulatory body for professional accountants established pursuant to legislation in any province or territory of Canada and The Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Bermuda.
- CPA Insurance Plans West (CPAIPW)
- Canadian Public Accountability Board (CPAB)
12. Other Parties
CPA SK does provide personal information permitted under the Act to be publicly available on a limited basis to agencies engaged to provide mailing services on behalf of CPA SK when:
- in the opinion of CPA SK, such provision and exchange constitutes a service,
- the information to be mailed is pertinent to the members of CPA SK; and
- CPA SK has the written agreement of contracted agencies to adhere to specific requirements with respect to their use of such information.
13. Updates to the Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy is in effect as of November 2021. CPA SK may revise its privacy practices and this Privacy Policy over time. In the event of an amendment, a notice will be posted on the CPA SK website and published in appropriate publications. Policy changes will apply to the information collected from the date of posting to the website as well as to existing information held by CPA SK.