Welcome to WillStreet ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This WillStreet privacy policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit willstreet.ca, subscribe to our newsletter, or interact with our content.
WillStreet is operated as a sole proprietorship based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), and applicable Ontario privacy laws. We also take reasonable steps to respect the privacy rights of international visitors, including those protected under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Please read this policy carefully. If you disagree with its terms, please discontinue use of our site.
Tap any item we collect to trace its path through the system.
1Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide Directly
We collect information you voluntarily provide to us, including:
- Newsletter subscriptions: When you subscribe to The WillStreet Report via Beehiiv, we collect your email address and any optional information you provide, such as your name.
- Contact form submissions: When you use our WPForms contact form, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message.
- Comments: If you leave comments on our website, we collect your name, email address, and comment content.
1.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you visit willstreet.ca, certain information is collected automatically through cookies and tracking technologies, including:
- Log data: IP address, browser type and version, pages visited, time and date of visit, time spent on pages, and referring URLs.
- Device information: Device type, operating system, and unique device identifiers.
- Analytics data: User behaviour patterns, traffic sources, and engagement metrics collected through Google Analytics.
- Cookie data: Information stored in cookies placed on your device. See Section 4 for full details.
1.3 Information From Third Parties
We may receive information about you from third-party services including:
- Google Analytics (website traffic and behaviour analysis)
- Google Search Console (search performance data)
- Beehiiv (newsletter platform analytics)
- Affiliate networks including Amazon Associates, ShareASale, Impact, and others
2How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- To deliver our newsletter: Sending The WillStreet Report and related communications to subscribers who have explicitly opted in.
- To respond to inquiries: Replying to messages submitted through our contact form.
- To improve our content: Analyzing how visitors interact with our site to improve article quality, site structure, and user experience.
- To monitor and analyze usage: Understanding which content resonates with our audience through Google Analytics data.
- To comply with legal obligations: Retaining records as required by applicable Canadian law.
- To prevent fraud and abuse: Detecting and addressing technical issues, spam, and security threats.
- To show relevant advertising: If and when Google AdSense display advertising is implemented on this site, Google uses data to serve relevant ads to visitors.
We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. We do not share your email list with sponsors, advertisers, or any third parties.
3Legal Basis for Processing
3.1 Canadian Residents (PIPEDA and CASL)
Under PIPEDA, we collect and use personal information only with your knowledge and consent, or where permitted by law. Under CASL, we send commercial electronic messages only to individuals who have provided express or implied consent. Every newsletter and promotional email we send includes a clear and easy unsubscribe mechanism. Unsubscribe requests are processed within 10 business days as required by CASL.
3.2 European Union Residents (GDPR)
If you are located in the European Economic Area, our legal bases for processing your personal data include:
- Consent: Where you have given clear consent, for example a newsletter subscription.
- Legitimate interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests and does not override your rights.
- Legal obligation: Where processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation.
4Cookies and Tracking Technologies
4.1 What Are Cookies
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help websites function properly, remember your preferences, and provide analytical information to site owners.
4.2 Types of Cookies We Use
4.3 Managing Cookies
You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website. For more information on managing cookies, visit allaboutcookies.org.
5Affiliate Disclosure and Third-Party Links
WillStreet participates in affiliate marketing programs. This means we may earn a commission when you click on certain links and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships do not influence our editorial content or reviews. We only recommend products and services we believe provide genuine value to our readers.
Our site may contain links to third-party websites, products, and services. These third-party sites have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their content, privacy practices, or data handling. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party site you visit.
6Newsletter and Email Communications
Our newsletter, The WillStreet Report, is managed through Beehiiv. By subscribing, you consent to receive regular email communications from WillStreet. Each email includes an unsubscribe link. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Beehiiv, as our email service provider, may collect and process data in accordance with their own privacy policy, available at beehiiv.com/privacy.
We will never share, sell, or rent your email address or subscriber data to any third party, including sponsors and advertisers. Sponsors may pay to be featured in our newsletter, but they receive no access to our subscriber list.
7Data Retention
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:
- Newsletter subscriber data: Retained while your subscription is active. Deleted within 30 days of unsubscription upon request.
- Contact form submissions: Retained for up to 12 months for correspondence purposes.
- Analytics data: Retained as per Google Analytics default retention settings, up to 26 months.
- Comment data: Retained while your comment remains published on the site.
8Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include SSL/TLS encryption on our website, secure password practices, and limited access to personal data.
However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is fully secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9Your Rights and Choices
9.1 Canadian Residents
Under PIPEDA, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Withdraw consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information
- Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
9.2 European Union Residents
Under GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Rectify inaccurate data
- Request erasure (the "right to be forgotten")
- Restrict or object to processing
- Data portability
- Withdraw consent at any time
- Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at will@willstreet.ca. We will respond within 30 days.
10Children's Privacy
WillStreet 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 we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.
11Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this WillStreet privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. We will notify subscribers of material changes via email and update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
12Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this privacy policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:
Organization
WillStreet, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Email
will@willstreet.ca
Website
https://willstreet.ca
We are committed to resolving privacy complaints promptly and fairly.