Terms and conditions

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Privacy Notice

The Government of Canada is committed to providing you with websites that respect your privacy. This page summarizes the privacy policy and practices used on the Veterans Affairs Canada website.

All personal information created, held or collected by the Department is protected under the federal Privacy Act. This means you will be informed of the purpose for which any personal information is being collected and how to exercise your right of access to that information. You will be asked for your consent where appropriate.

Communications and Information Technology

This website uses web analytics tools that place digital markers on the device you use to visit our website. The information collected consists of your Internet Protocol (IP) address. This does not identify you personally. We do not use the information gathered through web analytics tools in decision-making processes affecting you. This information is compiled into statistical reports used to analyze traffic patterns to, from and within our website (for example, most visited pages) and to assess our website's efficiency (for example, analysis of broken links). The information is collected pursuant to section 161 of the Financial Administration Act. Such information may be used for communications and information technology statistical purposes, audit, evaluation, research, planning and reporting.

The provision of personal information for communications and information technology web analytics purposes is optional. You may refuse the installation of or delete the digital markers used by our web analytics tools from your device through the settings of your web browser. This will not affect the website's performance or restrict your ability to access information from our website.

Network Security

This website limits the collection of personal information to the minimal transmission data required to allow you to use the website. This includes the automatic collection of the Internet Protocol (IP) address from which you are accessing the website, the date and time of the visit and the pages visited. The personal information is used to monitor network traffic to identify and investigate unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage to the website. The personal information is collected pursuant to section 161 of the Financial Administration Act. The information may be shared with appropriate police authorities if suspected criminal activities are detected. Such information may be used for network security-related statistical purposes, audit, evaluation, research, planning and reporting. The information is included in the standard personal information bank – Electronic Networking Monitoring Logs, Bank Number: PSU 905 – of the Government of Canada Info Source Publication.

Veterans' Week Learning Resources - Public Communications

The personal information you provide on this form is protected by the Privacy Act, and is collected under the authority of the Order in Council (OIC) 1965-688. Your personal information will be used for shipping purposes or to clarify your order, if required. Providing your information is voluntary.

Your personal information may be used to communicate news about learning resources or activities or be shared with a third party service, under a contractual arrangement, for the sole purpose of communicating about these learning resources or activities.

Under the Privacy Act, you have the right to request access to your personal information held by a government institution, and to request corrections should you believe the information you provided contains errors or omissions.

Additional information about how the Department handles your personal information can be found in the Veterans Affairs Canada section of the Info Source publication in the Personal Information Bank, Public Education and Awareness (VAC PPU 620). You also have the right to file a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada regarding Veterans Affairs Canada's handling of your personal information.

Standard Internet Information

Information collected from all visitors

Software programs are used to monitor network traffic and to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. When you visit the website, these software programs automatically receive and temporarily store information supplied by your browser (for example, Google Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox) in our web server logs. Some of the information automatically collected by our server when you browse our website includes:

  • network location and Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer you used to contact the Veterans Affairs Canada website;
  • domain name used to access the Internet (.com, .org, .net, .ca, etc.);
  • type of browser used;
  • type of operating system used (Windows, Mac OS, etc.)
  • date and time of site access;
  • pages accessed and documents downloaded; and
  • Internet address of the linking website, if applicable.

In most circumstances, this is anonymous statistical data and the Department makes no attempt to link this data, nor the IP addresses of the computers that have contacted our website, with the identity of individuals visiting our site unless an attempt to damage the site has been detected. The programs are never used to gather specific personal information such as your name, your phone number or your e-mail address.

Cookies

Cookies are used to track how our visitors use this site, to determine websites previously visited or to facilitate the use of secure portions of this website. A cookie is a file placed on your hard drive without your knowledge by a website to monitor your use of the site. The cookies used by Veterans Affairs Canada do not allow identification of individuals. The cookies enable the compilation of traffic patterns and are used to assess and improve the efficiency of the website.

The Department uses two types of cookies:

  • Session cookies: These are used as an integral part of the identification process for some of our online applications. This is for security purposes to determine that you are who you say you are and to provide you with your confidential account information during an online session. No personal information is kept in session cookies and they are stored only in your browser's temporary (cache) memory. When you log out of your session, the cookie is no longer valid and is discarded when you close your browser.
  • Persistent cookies: These are more permanent and can be re-read when you return to the website that placed them on your computer. The information in a persistent cookie is written onto your hard drive and remains there until the expiration date of the cookie. Cookies are used to identify and provide personalized features (for example, to help us remember which official language you prefer) and to track traffic patterns to and from our site. For more information on the tracking used, refer to the Google Analytics section below.

Cookies are enabled by default on most Internet browsers. To disable cookies or JavaScript, please refer to your browser's instruction guide.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc., helps to measure traffic patterns to, from, and within the Department's website. This analytics measurement tool uses session and persistent cookies to collect standard Internet log information and to track visitor behaviour information in an anonymous form. Persistent cookies are stored on your computer and expire two years after your last visit to the Department's website. The information generated by the cookies about your use of the website (including your IP address, which is truncated to ensure your anonymity) is transmitted to Google. No personal, identifying information is recorded or provided to Google. This anonymous information is then used to evaluate visitors' use of the website and to compile statistical reports on Government of Canada website activity. The aggregate data and statistical reports are used only to help us make the Department's website more useful to visitors and are made available only to web managers and other designated employees who require this information to perform their duties.

Third-Party Server Notice

To improve the functionality of the Department's website, certain files (such as open source libraries, images, and scripts) may be delivered automatically to your browser via a trusted third-party server or content delivery network. The delivery of these files is intended to provide a seamless user experience by speeding response times and avoiding the need for each visitor to download these files. Where applicable, specific privacy statements covering these files are included in our privacy notice.

We DO NOT include this Google Analytics measurement tool on any secure sites.

For further information about Google Analytics, please refer to the Google Analytics Privacy Policy.

If you wish, you may opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics by disabling or refusing the cookies; by disabling JavaScript within your browser; or by using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On. Disabling Google Analytics or JavaScript will still permit you to access comparable information or services from the Department's website. However, if you disable your session cookie option, you will still be able to access our public website, but you might have difficulties accessing any secure services.

Third-Party Social Media

The use of social media by Veterans Affairs Canada serves as an extension of its presence on the Web. Social media account(s) are public and are not hosted on Government of Canada servers. Users who choose to interact with us via social media should read the terms of service and privacy policies of these third-party service providers and those of any applications you use to access them.

Personal information that you provide to the Government of Canada via social media account(s) is collected under the authority of the Financial Administration Act. This information is collected to capture conversations (e.g. questions and answers, comments, retweets) between you and Veterans Affairs Canada. It may be used to respond to inquiries, or for statistical, evaluation and reporting purposes. Comments posted that violate Canadian law will be deleted and disclosed to law enforcement authorities. Comments that violate our rules of engagement will also be deleted. The personal information is included in Personal Information Bank PSU 938 Outreach Activities.

VAC does not normally use its social media platforms to collect personal information for administrative purposes [1] and reminds users to not include sensitive personal information such as your social insurance number, date of birth, personal finance data, and medical or work history or the or the personal information of others when interacting with us on social media platforms. Comments which include personal information may be deleted. In rare cases where it is necessary to collect personal information provided via social media platforms to be considered for administrative purposes by VAC, the information may be shared within VAC if a comment or inquiry pertains to a specific program or activity of the department. In such cases, the information about how VAC will use the information is included in the personal information bank of the program or activity.

[1]The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Policy on Privacy Protection defines administrative purpose as the use of personal information about an individual "in a decision making process that directly affects that individual". This includes all uses of personal information for confirming identity (i.e. authentication and verification purposes) and for determining eligibility of individuals for government programs.

Disclaimers

My VAC Book

To process a request for a My VAC Book product, we collect certain personal information to mail the booklet to you. This personal information (e.g. your mailing address) is not permanently stored, nor is it shared or used for any other purpose. Your personal information is deleted within 72 hours after your booklet is shipped to you.

In order to operate this print and mail service, VAC uses an external service provider. As such, Gilmore Global is bound by its contract with VAC to treat any personal information it receives in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Privacy Act.

The personal information collected for My VAC Book is described in the standard personal information bank – Public Communications, Bank Number: PSU 914 – of the Government of Canada Info Source Publication.

Benefits Navigator

Important: The information included in this online tool is for reference only and no eligibility decision will be made based on your answers.

If you apply for services and benefits from Veterans Affairs Canada, your application will be assessed in accordance with the appropriate policies and legislation. The answers you provided in the questionnaire will not be taken into consideration.

We will not retain your results or your e-mail address. For your security, we recommend that you close the computer's web browser or clear its browser cache after you have finished using the Benefits Navigator.

Bomber Command Bar

The personal information you provide is collected in accordance with Order in Council (OIC) 1965-688, The Canadian Volunteer Service Medal Order and the Award Regulations for the purpose of administering Honours and Awards, including the Bomber Command Bar. Provision of the information is voluntary, however, if you do not complete any part of this form or if you submit an incomplete form, there may be delays and/or your determination may be affected.

The personal information received by VAC may be shared with other VAC programs to determine if you may be eligible for additional benefits, or for commemorative activities, where applicable. These disclosures are shown in the personal information banks as consistent uses in accordance with the Privacy Act.

The personal information collected on this form is protected from unauthorized disclosure by the Privacy Act. Personal information obtained by VAC may be shared with Public Works and Government Services of Canada (PWGSC) for the purpose of creating a digital image of the paper record for use by VAC. By Order in Council 2011-1348, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) may provide services on behalf of VAC.

The Privacy Act also gives individuals a right of access to personal information about themselves under the control of the Department, as well as a right to request correction of their personal information where the individual believes there is an error or omission.

Further details on the collection, use and disclosure of personal information are described under the Personal Information Bank, Ceremonies and Events, VAC PPU 621.

Travel Subsidy

The personal information you provide is collected in accordance with PC 1965-688 and for the purpose of determining eligibility for travel subsidy. Provision of the information is voluntary; however, an incomplete form may cause delays and/or affect any decisions rendered on your request. The personal information collected on this form is protected from unauthorized disclosure under the Privacy Act.

The personal information you provide may also be shared with other appropriate areas within Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), other federal departments and foreign government officials. This internal sharing of information may occur to determine if you are eligible for additional benefits or as part of the Department's commemorative activities, if applicable. These potential disclosures are identified in the personal information banks as consistent uses in accordance with the Privacy Act.

The Privacy Act provides for a right of access, on request, to your personal information which is in VAC's possession, as well as a right to request that your personal information be corrected if you believe there is an error or omission.

Further details on the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, as well as details about personal information sharing, which may include any third parties performing services on VAC's behalf, are described under the Personal Information Bank, Ceremonies and Events, VAC PPU 621. As well, VAC maintains Personal Information Banks on other VAC programs. You may consult Info Source to review a complete list of VAC's Personal Information Banks.

Second World War Tribute Request

The personal information you provide on this form is protected by the Privacy Act, and is collected under the authority of the Order in Council (OIC) 1965-688 to facilitate the application process for the Second World War Tribute Certificate of Recognition. Providing your information is voluntary.

This personal information may be shared with other VAC programs for case management purposes, to determine your eligibility for additional benefits, or for commemorative activities, where applicable. The information may be used for the planning, research, development, evaluation and/or reporting of programs, policies and services.

Under the Privacy Act, you have the right to request access to your personal information held by a government institution, and to request corrections should you believe the information you provided contains errors or omissions.

Additional information about how the Department handles this personal information can be found in the Veterans Affairs Canada section of the Info Source publication in the Personal Information Bank, Ceremonies and Events (VAC PPU 621).

Official Languages Notice

The Official Languages Act, the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations and Treasury Board policy requirements establish when Veterans Affairs Canada uses both English and French to provide services to, or communicate with, members of the public. When there is no obligation to provide these in both official languages, content may be available in one official language only. Information provided by entities not subject to the Official Languages Act is in the language(s) provided. Information provided in a language other than English or French is only for the convenience of visitors to the Department's website.

Links to websites not under the control of the Government of Canada are provided solely for the convenience of our website visitors. The government is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or reliability of the content. The government does not offer any guarantee in that regard and is not responsible for the information found through these links, nor does it endorse the sites or their content.

Visitors should also be aware that information offered by non-Government of Canada sites to which this website links is not subject to the Privacy Act or the Official Languages Act and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities. The information offered may be available only in the language(s) used by the sites in question. With respect to privacy, visitors should research the privacy policies of these non-Government websites before providing personal information.

Copyright and Permission to Reproduce Notice

Materials on this website were produced and/or compiled by Veterans Affairs Canada for the purpose of providing Canadians with access to information about the programs and services offered by the Government of Canada.

 

Some content on this site may be subject to the copyright of another party. Where information has not been produced or copyright is not held by the Government of Canada, the materials are protected under the Copyright Act and international agreements. Details concerning copyright ownership are indicated on the relevant page(s). To obtain additional information concerning copyright ownership and restrictions, please contact:

Veterans Affairs Canada
PO Box 7700
Charlottetown PE C1A 8M9
vac.communications.acc@canada.ca

You may use and reproduce materials that have been produced by, or that copyright belongs to, the Government of Canada as follows:

Non-Commercial Reproduction

Unless otherwise specified, you may reproduce Government of Canada materials on this site, in whole or in part, for non-commercial purposes, and in any format, without charge or further permission, provided you do the following:

  • Exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced;
  • The work is not being revised, adapted or translated;
  • Indicate both the complete title of the materials reproduced, as well as the author (where available); and
  • Indicate that the reproduction is a copy of the version available on the Veterans Affairs Canada website.

Commercial Reproduction

Unless otherwise specified, you may not reproduce materials on this site, in whole or in part, for the purposes of commercial redistribution without prior written permission from Veterans Affairs Canada. To obtain permission to reproduce Government of Canada materials on this site for commercial purposes, please contact:

Veterans Affairs Canada
PO Box 7700
Charlottetown PE C1A 8M9
vac.communications.acc@canada.ca

Crown copyright is governed by section 12 of the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42)[1], which covers all works that are "prepared or published by or under the direction or control of Her Majesty or any government department." [1] It lasts until the end of 50 years after the year of creation.

Copyright is the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish and sell a work. In other words, the Copyright Act provides copyright protection to what is referred to as authors/creators.

Under copyright legislation, the author/creator is the party that not only writes something, but that also takes a photograph, designs computer software, produces audiovisual materials, composes music, designs maps, or draws plans or illustrations in either paper format or other mediums.

It is important to note that the Copyright Act does not protect ideas, concepts, or themes, but that it does protect the language and words used to express such ideas, concepts and themes.

In Canada, copyright in a work comes into existence when a work is created. Under Canadian copyright legislation rights of the author/creator are protected whether or not he or she has marked the work with the standard copyright symbol "©".

Reproduction of Government Symbols Notice

The official symbols of the Government of Canada, including the Canada Wordmark, the Arms of Canada, and the flag symbol, may not be reproduced, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes, without prior written authorization. Request for authorization from the Treasury Board Secretariat may be addressed to:

Federal Identity Program
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
300 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa ON  K1A 0R5
Canada
information@fip-pcim.gc.ca

Requests for authorization for the use of the official symbols of Veterans Affairs Canada may bye addressed to:

Veterans Affairs Canada
PO Box 7700
Charlottetown PE  C1A 8M9
vac.communications.acc@canada.ca

Privacy Inquiry

Any questions, comments, concerns or complaints you may have about the administration of the Privacy Act and privacy policies regarding this website may be directed to the Department's Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Coordinator by e-mail at vac.atip-aiprp.acc@canada.ca, by phone at 1-877-566-8609, or in writing to:

Veterans Affairs Canada
Access to Information and Privacy Office
PO Box 7700
Charlottetown PE  C1A 8M9

If you are not satisfied with our response to your privacy concern, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner by e-mail at info@priv.gc.ca or by telephone at 1-800-282-1376.

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