Terms of Service

RepFinder Canada is a free, independent civic engagement application that helps Canadian citizens find and contact their elected representatives at federal, provincial, and municipal levels.

Independence Declaration: This application is developed and maintained independently. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Government of Canada, any provincial or territorial government, any municipal government, any elected representative, or any political party.

By using this application, you acknowledge and agree to these terms of service.

Primary Data Source

RepFinder Canada uses the Represent API provided by Open North (https://represent.opennorth.ca/) as our primary data source for representative information.

How Your Data is Processed

• Postal Code Lookup: When you enter a postal code, we send this postal code directly to Open North's Represent API via HTTPS to retrieve your representatives.
• Location-Based Lookup: When you choose "Use my location," we obtain your approximate coordinates (latitude/longitude) through your browser's geolocation API, then send these coordinates to Open North's Represent API to find representatives in your area.
• API Requests: All requests to Open North's API are made server-side from our application to protect your privacy and ensure secure data transmission.
• No Data Storage: We do not store your postal codes, location data, or search history on our servers. Each search is processed in real-time.
• Local Caching: Recent searches may be temporarily cached in your browser's local storage for convenience. You can clear this data at any time through your browser settings.

Data Licensing

The representative data provided through Open North's Represent API contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. This means the underlying government data is publicly available and licensed for reuse.

Data Accuracy: The representative information is sourced from Open North's Represent API, which aggregates data from various government sources. While we strive to provide accurate information, we cannot guarantee that all information is completely up-to-date or error-free.

Postal Code Limitations: Postal code-based matching may not be perfect in all cases, particularly in rural areas or areas with complex electoral boundaries. If results appear incorrect, try a nearby postal code or verify information on official government websites.

Third-Party Dependency: Our service depends on the availability and accuracy of Open North's Represent API. We are not responsible for any downtime, inaccuracies, or changes to this third-party service.

Users agree to use RepFinder Canada responsibly and lawfully. This includes:

• Using the service for legitimate civic engagement purposes only
• Not using the service for harassment, spam, or inappropriate communications
• Respecting the time and office of elected representatives
• Not attempting to circumvent any technical limitations or security measures
• Not using automated tools to make excessive requests to our service
• Not misrepresenting yourself when contacting representatives

Message Generation: If you use our message generation features, you are responsible for reviewing and approving all content before sending it to representatives.

No User Accounts: RepFinder Canada does not require user registration or create user accounts. We do not collect personal identifying information beyond what is necessary to provide the service.

Data Transmission: All data transmission between your device and our servers, and between our servers and Open North's API, is encrypted using HTTPS.

Analytics: We may use privacy-respecting analytics to understand general usage patterns, but we do not track individual users or store personal data.

For complete privacy information, please review ourPrivacy Policy.

Service Provided "As Is": RepFinder Canada is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

No Liability: We are not liable for any damages arising from the use of this service, including but not limited to:

• Inaccurate or outdated representative information
• Service interruptions or downtime
• Any consequences of communications sent to representatives
• Actions or responses of elected representatives
• Technical issues with third-party services we depend on

User Responsibility: Users are responsible for verifying information and using the service appropriately. We recommend confirming representative information on official government websites before taking important actions.

Application Code: The RepFinder Canada application code and design are owned by the application developers.

Government Data: Representative data is sourced from Open North's Represent API and is subject to the Open Government Licence – Canada.

Third-Party Content: Any third-party content, including data from Open North, remains the property of its respective owners.

Best Effort Service: We provide RepFinder Canada on a best-effort basis. We do not guarantee continuous availability or uptime.

Maintenance and Updates: We may perform maintenance, updates, or modifications to the service at any time, which may temporarily affect availability.

Service Termination: We reserve the right to discontinue the service at any time, though we will make reasonable efforts to provide advance notice.

We reserve the right to modify these terms of service at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date.

Continued use of RepFinder Canada after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the modified terms.

For significant changes, we may provide additional notice through the application interface.

These terms of service are governed by the laws of Canada. Any disputes arising from the use of RepFinder Canada will be subject to the jurisdiction of Canadian courts.

If you have questions about these terms of service, please contact us at:

Email: santosgajadhar@gmail.com

For technical support or to report issues with representative data, please include relevant details such as the postal code or location you searched and the nature of the problem.

By using RepFinder Canada, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these terms of service.

You also acknowledge that RepFinder Canada is an independent application not affiliated with any government entity, and that you will use the service responsibly for legitimate civic engagement purposes.