01 Overview
Firmground.ca ("Firmground," "we," "us," or "our") is a direct landowner offering affordable rural land across Canada, sold exclusively through owner-direct financing, and helps clients manage their purchase, payments, and account through our website and client portal. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect when you visit firmground.ca, browse a listing, submit an enquiry, or become a client; why we collect it; who we share it with; and the choices and rights available to you.
This policy applies to firmground.ca, our property storefront, our client portal, and any related services we operate (collectively, the "Services"). It does not apply to third-party websites we may link to.
We handle personal information in accordance with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and any applicable provincial privacy law.
02 Information we collect
What we collect depends on how you interact with us:
Visiting the website
Standard technical information such as your IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, and referring page, collected automatically to keep the site secure and working correctly.
Submitting an enquiry or contact form
- Name, email address, and phone number
- The subject and content of your message
Creating a client portal account
- Email address and a password (stored only as a one-way cryptographic hash — we never store or can see your plain-text password)
- Full name, mailing address, phone number, and an alternate phone or email if provided
- Date of birth, nationality, and occupation
- Government-issued identification type and number (for example, driver's licence or passport), collected to verify identity for a land purchase agreement
- How you heard about us (referral source)
Managing your purchase and payments
- The property you purchased, purchase price, down payment, financing term, and outstanding balance
- Payment history, including amount, method, date, and reference number
Communicating with us
Messages you exchange with our team through the client portal, email, or phone are kept as part of your account record so we can provide consistent support.
| Category | Examples | Collected when |
|---|---|---|
| Contact information | Name, email, phone, mailing address | Enquiry form, account registration |
| Identity information | Date of birth, nationality, government ID type/number | Land purchase & financing agreement |
| Financial information | Purchase price, balance, payment history | Once you become a client |
| Account credentials | Email, hashed password | Client portal registration |
| Communications | Support messages, enquiries | Ongoing, as you contact us |
| Technical data | IP address, browser, device | Automatically, while browsing |
03 How we use it
We use personal information to:
- Verify your identity and prepare and administer land purchase and financing agreements
- Process, record, and reconcile payments, and manage your outstanding balance
- Create and maintain your client portal account and respond to support requests
- Respond to enquiries submitted through our website
- Send administrative communications, such as payment reminders or account notices
- Send marketing communications about new listings or offers, where you have consented and have not opted out
- Meet our legal, tax, and record-keeping obligations
- Detect, investigate, and prevent fraud and to keep our Services secure
We do not use your identification documents or financial information for any purpose other than administering your relationship with Firmground and meeting our legal obligations.
04 Consent
By submitting an enquiry, registering for the client portal, or entering into a purchase agreement with us, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this policy. Where required by law, we will ask for your express consent before collecting sensitive information (such as government ID) or before using your information for a new purpose.
You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice — see Your rights below. Withdrawing consent for information necessary to administer an active purchase agreement may affect our ability to continue providing that service.
05 Who we share it with
We do not sell personal information. We disclose it only in the following circumstances:
- Service providers who help us operate — for example, website hosting, payment processing, email delivery, and IT security providers — bound by confidentiality and data-protection obligations.
- Professional advisors such as lawyers, notaries, title companies, or accountants involved in completing or registering a land transaction.
- Legal and regulatory purposes, where required to comply with a subpoena, court order, or other legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Firmground, our clients, or the public.
- Business transfers, in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, subject to the same privacy protections described here.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes.
07 Security
We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information, including:
- Encrypted transmission (HTTPS) between your browser and our servers
- One-way cryptographic hashing of account passwords
- Restricted, authenticated access to client records, limited to authorized staff
- Rate-limiting and lockout protection against repeated unauthorized login attempts
No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If we become aware of a breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and the appropriate authorities as required by law.
08 Retention
We keep personal information only as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including to meet our legal, tax, and accounting obligations. Records related to a land purchase or financing agreement are generally retained for the duration of the agreement plus a reasonable period afterward. Enquiries that do not lead to a client relationship are retained for a shorter period and then securely deleted or anonymized.
09 Your rights
Subject to certain legal exceptions, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
- Withdraw consent to our collection, use, or disclosure of your information (see Consent)
- Ask questions about how your information has been collected, used, or disclosed
- File a complaint with us, or with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (and, where applicable, your provincial privacy regulator) if you believe we have not handled your information appropriately
To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Contact us below. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.
10 Children's privacy
Our Services are intended for adults capable of entering into a binding real estate agreement and are not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of majority in their province of residence. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
11 Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in applicable law. We will post the revised policy on this page with an updated "Last updated" date, and where changes are material, we will provide additional notice — for example, by email or a notice in the client portal.
12 Contact us
Questions, requests, or complaints about this policy or how we handle your personal information can be directed to us any time:
Firmground.ca
Email: info@firmground.ca
Phone: +1 (866) 729-2213