Evidence-Based Support for Change

Effective Date: February 27, 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 evidence-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 or browser type for basic analytics purposes. This information is not used to identify individuals. 

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

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:

https://www.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.