Privacy Policy of Women in Consulting Engineering (WCE)

  1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy outlines the personal information that Women in Consulting Engineering (WCE) collects, how we use it, and the steps we take to protect it. By using our website or otherwise providing your personal information to us, you agree to the collection and use of your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

  1. Who We Are

Women in Consulting Engineering (WCE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support, empowerment, and retention of women in consulting engineering across Canada. WCE is comprised of independently incorporated chapters in various provinces, including:

  • Women in Consulting Engineering Vancouver (WCE) Society (British Columbia)
  • Women in Consulting Engineering Calgary (WCE) Society (Alberta)

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, these chapters are collectively referred to as “WCE,” “we,” “us,” or “our.”

Although each WCE chapter is a distinct legal entity, your personal information may be shared among chapters in accordance with this Privacy Policy to deliver consistent programs, communicate updates, and improve the experience of WCE members and participants across the country.

  1. Giving and Withdrawing Your Consent

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using our website or otherwise providing your personal information to us, you acknowledge the notices in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, you must refrain from using our website or otherwise providing your personal information to us.

We collect, use, and disclose your personal information with your consent and as permitted by applicable privacy laws. Depending on the information we collect and the purposes for which the personal information will be used, your consent may be express or implied. When you voluntarily provide personal information to us, we will imply your consent to use and disclose that information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. For sensitive information, we will obtain your express consent through an explicit opt-in mechanism.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting the Privacy Officer of your local chapter (see Section 13 below). Upon withdrawal of consent, we will cease processing your personal information for the purposes you have withdrawn consent from, unless we are required to retain certain data by law. We may keep a record of your withdrawal of consent.

You should be aware that withdrawing consent may affect your ability to use certain features of our website that rely on processing of your personal information or may otherwise impact your ability to participate in our events or programs. These limitations will be clearly communicated at the time of withdrawal to help you make informed decisions.

  1. What Information We Collect

We collect the following personal information: First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, Company, Discipline, Years of Experience, and Job Title.

  1. Why We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information for various purposes, as permitted by law. These purposes may be clear to you at the time of collection, or may be reasonable in the circumstances. In addition to the obvious business and legal purposes for which we may use personal information, our use of the personal information include the following purposes:

  • Communication with Members: We collect personal information to ensure our member list is current and up to date, and to communicate effectively with our members to provide necessary updates.
  • Marketing Activities: We use personal information to conduct marketing and promotional activities, including providing information about upcoming events and updates about our programs.
  1. How We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information through various methods, including:

  • Website Forms: Personal information is collected when you fill out forms on our website, such as contact forms.
  • Email Communications: We collect information from email communications you send to us, including inquiries about our events and programs.
  • Program and Event Interactions: Personal information may be collected when you participate in our programs or events, including post-event surveys.
  1. How We Use Your Information

Collected information is used to improve our programming. It is also used to communicate with you regarding relevant events and programs, for marketing communications, and to improve website functionality. Additionally, it helps in compiling aggregate data for internal member analysis, such as demographic analysis and to further improve our programming and service offerings including event planning, program development, and survey analysis.

  1. Where We Store Your Information

Your personal information will be stored on servers in Canada and the United States. When personal information is stored in the United States, your personal information may be subject to access in accordance with the laws of that jurisdiction.

  1. How We Protect Your Information

Standard encryption practices are used to protect personal information during storage and transmission. Access controls are implemented to ensure only authorized personnel have access to personal information.

  1. Our Data Retention Policy

Personal information is retained only as long as necessary to fulfill the stated purposes or for a legally required time period. Typically, data is reviewed annually to determine if it should be retained or securely destroyed. Member personal information is securely destroyed upon member request, unless that data must legally be retained for a period.

  1. Electronic Communications (CASL)

We only send commercial electronic messages (such as newsletters, updates, event promotions, or fundraising/sponsorship messages) in accordance with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), including using appropriate consent, identifying the sender, and providing an unsubscribe method in our messages. You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the unsubscribe link in an email or by contacting us at the following:

  • WCE Calgary: membership.calgary@wcecanada.com
  • WCE Vancouver: membership.vancouver@wcecanada.com
  1. Your Rights Regarding Your Personal Information

You have the right to access your personal information, request corrections or updates to your personal information, and demand deletion of your personal information where applicable. You can also object to certain processing activities and request restrictions on your personal information's use, however, this may impact the options available to you. You can exercise these rights by contacting our Privacy Officer at the information listed below.

  1. How We Handle Privacy-Related Complaints

Privacy-related complaints can be submitted via email to our Privacy Officer at the contact information below. All complaints are reviewed by our Privacy Officer within 30 days. You will be provided with updates or resolutions as applicable.

  1. Contacting Our Privacy Officer

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data handling practices, you can reach the Privacy Officer of the appropriate local chapter as follows:

  • WCE Calgary: membership.calgary@wcecanada.com
  • WCE Vancouver: membership.vancouver@wcecanada.com
  1. How We Notify You of Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time and post any changes to our website. If you use our website or otherwise provide personal information to us, you acknowledge notice of the most up-to-date version of the Privacy Policy posted at that time. Our collection, use, disclosure, and retention of your personal information will be governed by the version of the Privacy Policy currently in effect. As a result, we encourage you to periodically review our Privacy Policy for the latest information on our privacy practices and to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

This Privacy Policy was last updated on February 16, 2026.