1.1 Context
Acerum Québec and the Union of Maple Spirit Distillers (UDSÉ) — hereinafter collectively referred to as "the Organization" — bring together member distilleries involved in the production, promotion, and protection of Acerum from Québec (PGI). As part of its information, member management, communication, and public relations activities, the Organization processes certain personal information.
This policy aims to ensure the protection of this information and to frame the manner in which the Organization collects, uses, discloses, stores, and destroys it. It informs anyone wishing to understand how their data is processed, especially when they visit acerum.ca or use one of our forms (membership, newsletter, media contact, general requests).
By browsing our site or using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy and consent, when required, to the processing of your data in accordance with it.
1.2 Application and definitions
This policy applies to all staff, administrators, contractors, UDSÉ members, and anyone providing services on behalf of the Organization.
It covers all personal information we manage: members, visitors, partners, media, and website users.
A "personal information" is any data concerning an individual that allows them to be identified directly or indirectly (e.g., name, address, phone, email).
"Sensitive personal information" includes data for which a high level of protection is expected (e.g., a member's banking information).
Professional contact details are not considered personal information (e.g., work phone or address), unless they allow direct identification of a person.
1.3 Collection, use and disclosure
As part of our activities, we may collect several types of personal information.
Purposes of collection
Information is collected only for reasons set out in this policy.
Here are some reasons for collection:
Management of UDSÉ members (membership, renewal, internal communication).
Responses to requests sent via the website forms (general contact, media requests, event proposals, recipes, etc.).
Newsletter subscription.
Web traffic analysis using anonymized data (Google Analytics).
Purposes
Personal information may be used to:
Communicate with member distilleries and manage their administrative files.
Respond to requests from the public, media, partners, or institutions.
Disseminate information about Acerum, its news, events, or promotional actions.
Improve our website and digital tools (via anonymized data).
Comply with our legal and administrative obligations.
Information collected
The Organization collects personal information lawfully and transparently:
Personal identifiers: name, first name, email, phone, region, role (media, member, distillery, public).
Professional data (if provided by a distillery or journalist).
Anonymized browsing data (IP, device type, pages visited).
1.3.1 Consent
The Organization collects personal information directly from the individual concerned and with their consent, except in legal exceptions. Consent may be implicit when a form is voluntarily submitted.
1.3.2 Collection
We only collect information necessary to provide our services, manage members, and disseminate information about Acerum (PGI). Parental consent is required for any data submitted by a minor.
Collection from third parties
In some cases, information may be validated with a third party (e.g., institutional media contact, public information from a distillery). Consent will be obtained when required by law.
1.3.3 Retention and use
We ensure that the information held is accurate and used only for the purposes for which it was collected.
Access is limited to staff or administrators whose duties require it (member management, media relations, administration). Any other access requires consent.
1.3.4 Disclosure
We obtain consent before any disclosure to a third party, except for exceptions provided by law.
Public bodies when required by law;
Digital service providers (hosting, newsletter, CRM);
Parties involved in an institutional or administrative transaction.
Transfer outside Québec
Some information may transit outside Québec (Webflow hosting, newsletter, cloud tools). A protection assessment is conducted according to Law 25.
1.3.5 Technologies used
Connection cookies
Our site uses cookies to remember language preferences and analyze site traffic.
Google Analytics
Used to improve user experience. Data is anonymized and does not allow identification of a person.
Web forms
We collect information via our forms (contact, newsletter, becoming a member, media requests).
1.4 Retention and destruction
The Organization retains information for the duration necessary for the purposes:
Contact forms: until the request is fully processed.
Member data: for the entire membership duration + minimum legal period.
Newsletter data: until unsubscription.
Anonymized Analytics data: according to Google policies.
Once the retention period has expired, data is destroyed or anonymized.
1.5 Responsibilities
The person responsible for the protection of personal information at Acerum Québec / UDSÉ oversees the application of this policy and compliance with Law 25.
1.6 Data security
We apply appropriate measures to protect personal information: restricted access, encrypted forms, secure cloud systems, internal procedures.
1.7 Your rights
Anyone can:
Request access to their information;
Request correction;
Withdraw their consent;
Request deletion or export of their data;
Obtain the list of information held.
Requests must be submitted in writing (contact details below).
1.8 Complaint handling
Any complaint regarding information protection must be sent in writing to the person responsible. A response will be provided within 30 days.
1.9 Contact details
Personal Information Protection Officer
Acerum Québec — PGI
Union of Maple Spirit Distillers (UDSÉ)
info@acerum.ca
1.10 Publication and changes
This policy is published on our website and may be updated at any time. Changes will be indicated on this page.