Privacy Policy

The Municipality of Brockton is committed to ensuring that personal information is collected and handled responsibly and in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.56. 

There are a number of reasons a municipality may collect personal information including:

• To establish, administer and maintain billing, payment (example: taxes) and other service information
• To process requests for services or information (example: planning applications, permits and licences)
• To communicate with you about services, information requests or applications
• To communicate any changes or disruptions in services 

The Municipality of Brockton acknowledges and appreciates that the communication of personal information is extremely sensitive and it recognizes the need to protect the personal privacy of individuals who interact with the Municipality through various means of communication, including our website.

Personal Information

The Municipality of Brockton does not automatically gather your personal information. This includes information such as your name, address, phone number, or email address.

Personal information is collected, used, and disclosed in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). This information is only collected if you provide it to us voluntarily (example: completing an online form).

The Municipality is the sole owner of the information collected through our website. We do not exchange, rent, sell, or otherwise disclose your personal information to any outside organization or person unless the disclosure is required by law.

We use current security measures to keep your personal information safe. All the personal information you provide us is stored in a secure computing environment protected by firewalls to prevent unauthorized access. We control access so that only people who need to access the information can access it.

Communication to Council

Individuals who submit letters and other information to Council should be aware that any personal information contained within their communications may become part of the public record and may be made available through the Council Agenda process. 

Video Surveillance Cameras

The Municipality of Brockton uses video surveillance cameras at some municipal properties and facilities to enhance the safety and security of employees, the public, and corporate assets, to prevent unauthorized activities on or involving Municipal property to reduce risk and exposure to liability. 

The Municipality of Brockton recognizes the delicate balance between an individual’s right to be free from invasion of privacy and the need to protect the safety and security of its employees, the public and property. In respecting this balance, Brockton is committed to ensuring and enhancing the safety and security of the public, its employees and property by integrating security best practices with the responsible use of technology. The Municipality ensures the personal information of persons captured on video surveillance is maintained as private, confidential and secure, except as legally exempted or in situations outlined by our Video Surveillance Policy.

The Municipality retains custody and control of all original video surveillance records. Video records are subject to the access and privacy requirements of Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O 1990, c. M.56, which includes but is not limited to the prohibition of all municipal staff from access or use of information from the video surveillance system, its components, files, or database for personal reasons.

Use of Website Cookies

Our website collects limited amounts of standard information for statistical and traffic monitoring purposes. This information does not identify a visitor personally and is only used to administer the site and identify usage trends to improve the website. Once the cookie is saved on your computer, our website is the only site that can access and read the information that you provide. We will not provide this information to any third parties or use it for sending unsolicited email.

External Websites

On occasion, the Municipality of Brockton's website provide links to other external websites for your information and convenience. Please note that other websites may collect personally identifiable information from you. The Municipality of Brockton is not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites, or the content found on those websites, and our Privacy Statement does not apply to those websites or data collection practices.

Social Media Disclaimer and Guidelines

The Municipality of Brockton's social media sites (including, but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, X) are used as a communication platform and information-sharing tool between the Municipality and the public. All users of social media sites must comply with the Terms of Use of the social media platforms/sites used. The Municipality does not own, operate or control the specific social media platforms and our Privacy Policy does not apply. 

The Municipality of Brockton's social media sites are monitored during regular business hours, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Staff make reasonable efforts to monitor and reply to content posted on our social media sites; however the Municipality cannot always respond in a timely manner to all comments and/or requests for information. Information requests made through social media platforms is not considered official, and the public is directed to email or call the Municipal Office. 

Our corporate website, Brockton.ca, should be used as the official resource for municipal information.

Public Conduct on Municipal Social Media

The Municipality of Brockton invites members of the public to post, share, discuss and debate while treating each other with respect. The Municipality will not tolerate public posts or comments that include, but are not limited to:

• Profane or inappropriate language or content
• Personal attacks on individuals or specific groups
• Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, colour, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation
• Content considered to be defamatory, disrespectful or insulting to Municipal staff, Council, or other Municipal representatives
• Content of a sexual nature
• Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity
• Content related to non-Municipal related industries
• Content for the purposes of promoting or opposing a candidate for municipal, provincial, or federal election
• Information about any identifiable individual (including photographs of, or information about that individual, as well as views or opinions about that individual), unless the identifiable individual provided specific, written consent to the Municipality of Brockton in advance
• Information that could potentially compromise the safety or security of the public, or public systems
• Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party
• Content that is believed to be inappropriate in the opinion of the Municipality of Brockton

The Municipality of Brockton may ask users to refrain from posting inappropriate comments for violating these social media commenting guidelines. Public posts that include profane and disrespectful language directed at Municipal employees are not appropriate and will not be tolerated and the Municipality will:

• Hide or delete the post, if possible
• Ask the poster to delete the post and refrain from further disrespectful and inappropriate comments
• Mute, block, or ban users for violating the social media commenting guidelines if further behaviour occurs