privacy policy Quebec | All other provinces

Quebec
1. Introduction
This privacy policy explains the privacy practices of Laura Canada. In this privacy policy, "Laura", "we" and "our" collectively refer to Laura Canada (comprised of Laura, Laura Petites, Laura Plus, and Melanie Lyne stores). Our privacy policy may be amended from time to time, so we encourage you to periodically check our web site at www.lauracanada.com for the current version. Printed copies of our current privacy policy are also available at all of our retail stores and by contacting our Chief Privacy Officer.

2. Our Commitment to Your Privacy
The relationship between you and Laura is based on trust. We value the trust you have placed in us and are taking all appropriate measures to safeguard your personal information. Laura has established this privacy policy to ensure that your personal information is protected and that all our practices and procedures comply with relevant personal information protection legislation.

Laura applies the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector, R.S.Q., c. P-39.1 in respect of the collection, use and disclosure of personal information that occurs within the province of Quebec (the "Quebec Act"). In the Quebec Act, "personal information" is defined as "any information which relates to a natural person and allows that person to be identified".

In the rest of Canada, Laura is governed by the Personal information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, S.C. 2000, ch. 5 (the "Federal Act").

3. Accountability
Laura is responsible for all personal information under our control. Accountability for our compliance with this privacy policy rests with our Chief Privacy Officer; however, other individuals within Laura may have responsibility for the day to day collection and processing of personal information.

Contact information for our Chief Privacy Officer is set out below:

Laura is responsible for personal information in our possession or custody, including information that has been transferred to third parties for processing. We use contractual and other means to ensure that third parties to whom we disclose personal information for processing provide a comparable level of protection with respect to personal information in their possession or control.

4. Identifying Purposes
We will clearly identify and document the purposes for which we collect, use or disclose personal information at or before the time of collection.

The specific uses of personal information in connection with the foregoing purposes will be limited to what a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances. As we continue to develop our business, we might sell or buy business assets. In such transactions, client information generally is one of the transferred business assets. Also, in the event that we sell all or substantially all of our assets, information regarding our customers will of course be one of the transferred assets.

If we plan to use personal information we have collected for a purpose not previously identified, we will identify and document the purpose before such additional use. We will state the identified purposes in such a manner that you can reasonably understand how your personal information will be used or disclosed.

5. Obtaining Consent
We will collect, use and disclose personal information only with the knowledge and consent of the individual, except in cases where the applicable laws authorize collection, use or disclosure of personal information without such knowledge or consent.

We will use reasonable efforts to seek your express consent for the collection, use or disclosure of your personal information at the time of collection. In some circumstances, such as where we want to use personal information for a purpose that was not previously identified, we may have to seek your consent after your personal information has been collected but before our use for that purpose.

We will not, as a condition of selling you Laura products, require you to consent to the collection, use or disclosure of personal information beyond that which is necessary.

In certain limited circumstances, as permitted or required by law, we may collect, use or disclose personal information without the knowledge or consent of the individual. Although the following list is not exhaustive, these circumstances include disclosure of information: (i) to a person to whom it is necessary to communicate the information under the law; (ii) to act in respect of an emergency that threatens the life, health or security of an individual; (iii) for debt collection, or (iv) to comply with a subpoena, warrant or court order.

As part of our business operations, we use our customer lists or we transfer such lists to our subsidiaries or commercial firms which are part of our group in order to inform you of upcoming promotions, products or events.

If you do not want your name to be on the lists mentioned in the previous paragraph or should you wish to withdraw your consent to any particular use or disclosure of your personal information, please send your written instructions to our Chief Privacy Officer at the address set out above.

6. Limiting Collection
We will limit the amount and type of personal information collected to that which is necessary for our identified purposes and we will only collect personal information by fair and lawful means.

In general, we collect the following types of personal information from our customers:

name
home address
home phone number
email address
credit card number (when purchases are made by credit card)
debit card number (when purchases are made by debit card)

7. Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention
Laura does not use or disclose personal information for purposes other than those for which it is collected, except with the consent of the individual or as provided by law.

Laura will retain personal information only for as long as is necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes, subject to legal requirements. Currently, our policy is to maintain personal information for a period of three (3) years from the most recent acquisition of information. After the three (3) year period, our records are amended so that names are removed and the information can no longer be identified with an individual.

8. Accuracy
We will use our best efforts to ensure that personal information under our control that is used on an ongoing basis, including information that we disclose to third parties in accordance with this privacy policy, is as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used. In order to assist us in that regard, we urge you to provide us with updates regarding such information and to inform us of any errors affecting your personal information that we hold.

9. Safeguards
We will protect personal information with safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. We employ appropriate safeguards to protect personal information against loss or theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification, regardless of the format in which the information is held. We make our employees and business partners aware of the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of personal information, and we will exercise appropriate care in the disposal or destruction of personal information to prevent unauthorized parties from gaining access to the information.

Our methods of protection include physical measures (for example, locked filing cabinets and restricted access to offices), organization measures (for example, limiting access on a "need to know" basis, i.e. authorized employees may have access to personal information only if the information is needed for the performance of their duties or the execution of their mandates), and technological measures (for example, the use of passwords and encryption).

10. Openness
We will make specific information about our policies readily available, except to the extent that it is confidential commercial information.

The information we will make available will include: (i) how to gain access to your personal information; (ii) the type of personal information held by us, including a general account of its use; (iii) general information concerning our privacy policy; (iv) what personal information is made available to third parties; and (v) how to contact our Chief Privacy Officer.

Copies of the current version of our privacy policy are available in our retail stores and by contacting our Chief Privacy Officer. Our privacy policy can also be viewed on our website at www.lauracanada.com.

11. Access
Upon written request addressed to our Chief Privacy Officer, we will, as a general rule, inform an individual of the existence, use and disclosure of his or her personal information and we will give the individual access to that personal information.

We will respond to an individual's written request within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the request and we will assist any individual who informs us that he or she needs assistance in preparing a request. We may require an individual to provide sufficient information to permit us to provide an account of the existence, use and disclosure of personal information. While our response will typically be provided at no cost to the individual, depending on the nature of the request and the amount of information involved, we reserve the right to impose a reasonable cost for the transcription, reproduction or transmission of such information. In these circumstances, we will inform the individual of the approximate cost to provide the response and proceed upon payment by the individual of the cost. Requested information will be provided or made available in a form that is understandable. We will indicate the source of the information where such information was supplied by a third person carrying on a business.

In certain situations, we may refuse a request or not be able to provide access to all the personal information we hold about an individual. The exceptions to the right of access are set out in the applicable laws. Although the following list is not exhaustive, exceptions may include: (i) information relating to another person; (ii) information where disclosure may affect judicial proceedings; and (iii) information that is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

You may also send a request for rectification of personal information to our Chief Privacy Officer. According to the relevant legal provisions, you may cause information which is inaccurate, incomplete or equivocal to be rectified. You may also cause obsolete information, information not justified by the purpose of the file or information collected otherwise than according to law, to be deleted. You may as well deposit your written comments in the file.

Where applicable, notice of the rectification is given without delay to every person having received the information in the preceding six (6) months and to the person who provided that information. The same rule applies to an application for rectification, if it is contested.

12. Updating the Privacy Policy
Laura Canada may update its privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our information practices. As a result, we encourage you to periodically review our website at www.lauracanada.com for the latest information on privacy policies or contact us at 1-877-973-6090.

13. Challenging Compliance
If you are not completely satisfied with our privacy policy and wish to submit comments or concerns regarding our privacy practices, we invite you to contact our Chief Privacy Officer. We will thoroughly investigate all written complaints addressed to our Chief Privacy Officer. If we find a written complaint to be justified, we will take all appropriate measures, including, if necessary, amending our policies and practices.

If for any reason you are not satisfied with the results of our investigation of and responses to your complaint, you may file a complaint with the Commission d'accès à l'information, located at 480 St-Laurent Blvd., Office 501, Montreal (Quebec), H2Y 3Y7, Telephone: 1-888-528-7741 in respect of the collection, use and disclosure of personal information that occurs within the Province of Quebec. In the other cases, you may contact the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner, 112 Kent Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 1H3, Telephone: 1-800-282-1376.