Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Commitment

Victoria Lodge No. 474 A.F. & A.M., operating under the warrant of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Canada in the Province of Ontario (“the Lodge”, “we”, or “our”), is committed to safeguarding the privacy and personal information of our website visitors, prospective candidates, visiting brethren, and members.

This Privacy Policy outlines the types of information we collect through our website (victorialodge.ca), how it is used, and the steps we take to protect your data in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy principles.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal information that is necessary to fulfill the purposes of fraternity communication and administration:

• Information You Provide Voluntarily: When you reach out through our contact form or email our Secretary directly, we receive the details you choose to share. This typically includes your full name, email address, phone number, and the message content of your inquiry (such as an interest in joining Freemasonry or coordinating a fraternal visit).
• Technical & Analytical Information: When you access our website, standard web server logs and analytics tools collect non-personally identifiable technical information. This may include your IP address (anonymized), browser type, referring pages, and timestamp.

3. How We Use Your Information

Personal information collected through this website is used exclusively for legitimate Masonic and administrative purposes, specifically:

• To respond promptly to inquiries from gentlemen interested in learning about or joining Victoria Lodge No. 474.
• To communicate with visiting Masons regarding meeting schedules, degrees, banquets, and fraternal visits.
• To manage website security, resolve technical problems, and optimize site navigation.

4. Masonic Discretion & Confidentiality

Confidentiality and trust are cornerstones of the Masonic institution:

• We never sell, rent, trade, or commercially monetize personal information.
• Membership inquiries and candidate details are handled with strict discretion and shared only with authorized Lodge Officers (such as the Worshipful Master, Secretary, and Committee of Inquiry) in accordance with Grand Lodge Constitution.
• We will never disclose personal information to external third parties unless explicitly required by Canadian law or court order.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website utilizes standard session cookies and Google Tag Manager / Google Analytics to gather aggregate, anonymized traffic statistics. These tools help us assess which pages are most helpful to our visitors.

You may configure your web browser to reject cookies or notify you when a cookie is placed. Choosing to decline cookies will not inhibit your ability to browse our website content.

6. Data Security & Retention

We maintain appropriate physical, administrative, and technological precautions to protect collected information against unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. Information submitted through contact requests is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the inquiry or conform with Lodge archive requirements.

7. Contact Information & Privacy Requests

If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy, wish to update any information you previously submitted, or request the deletion of your contact records, please reach out to our Lodge Secretary: