SAQ privacy zone
Because protecting your personal information matters
Our commitment
to your privacy
Personal information governance policy
Personal information confidentiality conditions
Personal information conditions for applicants and employees
Surveys
Release of personal information
Personal information files
Exercising your rights
Personal information governance policy
In the course of conducting business and carrying out our mission, we handle personal information related to our customers, Inspire program members, the users of our websites, mobile apps and touchscreen terminals, job applicants and employees.
Recognizing the importance of protecting privacy and the relevant legal framework established by the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information, we have adopted a Personal information governance policy.
Personal information
Personal information is information that may, by itself or in combination with other information, allow you to be identified directly or indirectly. Personal information includes your mailing address, your login information for you Inspire account and your purchase history.
The Policy forms the foundation of our structure for protecting the personal information displayed in this Privacy zone. It aims to establish and maintain a meaningful relationship of trust that binds us to every natural person who entrusts us with their personal information. In short, the Policy:
- Sets forth our principles regarding the governance of personal information at every stage of its life cycle, namely collection, use, release, keeping and destruction;
- Describes how people who share their personal information with us can exercise their rights;
- Sets up a compliant handling process for privacy protection cases;
- Defines the roles and responsibilities of the players involved in privacy protection;
- Describes the privacy protection training and awareness-raising activities available to our employees.
To learn more, you can download the Personal information governance policy [PDF 226 KB]
Personal information confidentiality conditions
The Personal information confidentiality conditions are complementary to the Personal information governance policy and form an integral part of our structure for protecting personal information.
These conditions are especially relevant to you, as an SAQ customer, a member of the Inspire program or a user of our websites, mobile apps or touchscreen terminals, because they describe in detail how we collect, use, communicate and keep your personal information. They also explain how you can request to be granted access to your information or to correct it, if necessary.
When you provide us with your personal information, you agree that it will be handled in accordance with these conditions.
We are currently setting up processes for publicizing these Confidentiality conditions [PDF 220 KB], making them available and obtaining your consent.
Personal information conditions for applicants and employees
The personal information conditions for applicants and employees are also complementary to the Personal information governance policy and part of our structure to protect personal information, more specifically that of our employees and job applicants.
These conditions describe, among other things, the information we collect from applicants and employees, the purposes for which we collect the information, the measures taken to ensure it is adequeately protected and the rights of the persons concerned.
To learn more, download the personal information conditions for applicants and employees (French only). [PDF 213 KB].
Surveys
We conduct surveys to better understand how satisfied you are with our products and services and to improve your shopping experience. Our business partners and our employees are also occasionally asked to take part in surveys.
Four core values guide our mission and business: passion, collaboration, responsibility and inclusion. Surveys should always be conducted in keeping with these values, as no exceptions are allowed. To ensure this is the case, various guidelines have been developed, including:
- Maintaining the trust in the SAQ of the persons surveyed;
- Protecting the privacy of the persons surveyed;
- Emphasizing the voluntary character of the surveys;
- Always using the personal information collected in surveys ethically;
- Keeping the personal information collected accessible only to persons who require access for legitimate reasons;
- Clearly stating the goals of the surveys;
- Collecting only the personal information required for the purposes of the survey.
We have published a directive on surveys. The directive spells out the evaluation process that has to be completed before we conduct a survey. The process aims to determine whether the survey is needed and ethical, based on the sensitivity of the personal information involved and the purpose for which it is being collected.
Lastly, the directive identifies the roles and responsibilities of the various players at the SAQ who will be involved in carrying out the survey.
For more information, you can download the Directive on surveys [PDF 124 KB].
Release of personal information
Aside from the exceptions provided in the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information, we cannot release personal information without the consent of the persons concerned. When the personal information is sensitive, i.e. when it is of a nature that the reasonable expectation of privacy is high, the consent must be express.
When the Act allows us to release personal information without obtaining the consent of the persons concerned, the disclosure is entered in the register of personal information released. This register provides an overview of the releases, outside our organization, of personal information that we have collected.
The Register of personal information released is accessible online [PDF 48 KB - French only].
The Act also allows us to release personal information to our agents and service providers. In such cases, to ensure that the personal information released for the purpose is adequately protected, we include in the mandate or contract legal provisions regarding the released personal information and the measures the agent or service provider must take to maintain its confidentiality, so the information is used only in the course of carrying out the mandate or contract and is not retained any longer than necessary for that purpose.
Personal information files
Under the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information, we are required to create personal information files and to prepare and keep updated an inventory of such files.
Inventory of personal information files
Group insurance [PDF 215 KB - French only]
Customer Relations Centre [PDF 214 KB - French only]
Retirement files [PDF 215 KB - French only]
Employee files [PDF 216 KB - French only]
Cellar rentals [PDF 257 KB - French only]
Pay [PDF 215 KB - French only]
Prevention, investigations and security [PDF 216 KB - French only]
Specialized products [PDF 216 KB - French only]
Labour relations [PDF 215 KB - French only]
Health and safety [PDF 215 KB - French only]
Exercising your rights
At all times, you have the right to access and correct any personal information about you that we hold. You can also request to have deleted any information that is outdated or that, in your opinion, is held without justification and in a manner inconsistent with the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information.
If you have an account with us, our website and mobile apps allow you to update your personal information via your profile. If you encounter any difficulties when attempting to update it, our Customer Relations Centre will be pleased to assist you. There are three ways to contact us:
- Using the form on the Contact us page of SAQ.COM
- By telephone at 1 866 873-2020
- By surface mail:
Société des alcools du Québec
7500, rue Tellier
Montréal (Québec) H1N 3W5
Lastly, to exercise your rights of access and correction as provided in the Act, you can submit an official request, in writing, to the Person in Charge of Access to Documents and Protection of Personal Information, namely Martine Comtois, Vice-President, Corporate Affairs and Secretary General:
- By email at : m.comtois@saq.qc.ca
- By surface mail:
Martine Comtois
Vice-president Corporate Affairs and Secretary General
7500, rue Tellier
Montréal (Québec) H1N 3W5
For more information about access to information requests.
Please note that when you exercise your rights, we may require you to identify yourself by presenting a valid ID.
Personal information files
Under the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information, we are required to create personal information files and to prepare and keep updated an inventory of such files.
Inventory of personal information files
Group insurance [PDF XXX KB - French only]
Customer Relations Centre [PDF XXX KB - French only]
Retirement files [PDF XXX KB - French only]
Employee files [PDF XXX KB - French only]
Cellar rentals [PDF XXX KB - French only]
Pay [PDF XXX KB - French only]
Prevention, investigations and security [PDF XXX KB - French only]
Specialized products [PDF XXX KB - French only]
Labour relations [PDF XXX KB - French only]
Health and safety [PDF XXX KB - French only]
Exercising your rights
At all times, you have the right to access and correct any personal information about you that we hold. You can also request to have deleted any information that is outdated or that, in your opinion, is held without justification and in a manner inconsistent with the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information.
If you have an account with us, our website and mobile apps allow you to update your personal information via your profile. If you encounter any difficulties when attempting to update it, our Customer Relations Centre will be pleased to assist you. There are four ways to contact us:
- By email at info@saq.com
- Using the form on the Contact us page of SAQ.COM
- By telephone at 1 866 873-2020
- By surface mail:
Société des alcools du Québec
7500, rue Tellier
Montréal (Québec) H1N 3W5
Lastly, to exercise your rights of access and correction as provided in the Act, you can submit an official request, in writing, to the Person in Charge of Access to Documents and Protection of Personal Information, namely Martine Comtois, Vice-President, Corporate Affairs and Secretary General:
- By email at : m.comtois@saq.qc.ca
- By surface mail:
Martine Comtois
Vice-president Corporate Affairs and Secretary General
7500, rue Tellier
Montréal (Québec) H1N 3W5
For more information about access to information requests.
Please note that when you exercise your rights, we may require you to identify yourself by presenting a valid ID.