Plain language summary: We collect only the personal information needed to register you in a driving course and deliver lessons. We do not sell your data, share it with advertisers, or use it for marketing beyond Omega Driving School services. You can ask us to delete your information at any time.
1. Who We Are
Omega Driving School is an MTO-approved Beginner Driver Education (BDE) driving school operating in Etobicoke and Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. We have been operating since 1994.
This Privacy Policy explains how Omega Driving School ("Omega," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, stores, and protects personal information provided to us through our website at omegadrivingschool.ca and through the course of delivering our driving instruction services.
This policy applies to all personal information collected via our website contact form, student registration form, phone calls, text messages, and email correspondence.
2. Information We Collect
Information you provide directly
When you contact us or register for a course, we may collect the following:
- Full name (first, middle, and last)
- Home address (street address, city, postal code)
- Phone number (primary and daytime)
- Email address
- Ontario Driver's Licence number, issue date, and expiry date (for MTO registration purposes — optional until course enrolment is confirmed)
- Your area of residence (Etobicoke or Mississauga)
- Your course or lesson interest
- Details you share in your message or enquiry
Information collected automatically
When you visit our website, basic technical information may be collected automatically by hosting and analytics services, including your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and the time and date of your visit. This information is used only in aggregate to understand how our website is used and to improve it. It is not linked to your identity.
3. Why We Collect It
We collect personal information only for the following purposes:
- To respond to your enquiry or contact form submission
- To enrol you in a BDE course or individual lesson package
- To register your enrolment with the MTO as required by Ontario's BDE certification requirements
- To schedule in-car lessons and arrange pick-up and drop-off
- To issue your MTO insurance certificate and Driver's Licence History (DLH) record upon course completion
- To communicate with you about your lessons, scheduling, and payments
- To maintain records required by the MTO for our BDE approval
We collect only the minimum information necessary for these purposes.
4. How We Use Your Information
Your personal information is used exclusively to provide and administer driving instruction services. Specifically:
- Your name, phone number, and email are used to contact you and manage your enrolment
- Your address is used to arrange pick-up and drop-off for in-car lessons
- Your driver's licence details are submitted to the MTO as required to register your BDE course completion and issue your insurance certificate and DLH record
- Your contact details may be used to send you information about your lessons, scheduling changes, or payment confirmation
We do not use your personal information for marketing, advertising, or promotional purposes beyond direct communication about your own enrolment or enquiry. We do not send newsletters, promotional emails, or third-party offers.
6. How We Store and Protect It
Your personal information is stored securely. We take reasonable precautions to protect it from loss, theft, and unauthorised access, use, or disclosure. These measures include:
- Limiting access to personal information to those who need it to perform their duties
- Storing digital records on password-protected systems
- Using secure, encrypted communication channels where applicable
Our website uses HTTPS encryption for all pages where personal information is transmitted (contact form, registration form).
No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. How Long We Keep It
We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any applicable legal requirements.
- Student enrolment and completion records are retained for a minimum of 7 years as required by MTO regulations for BDE providers
- Contact form submissions from enquiries that do not result in enrolment are retained for up to 12 months, after which they are deleted
- Payment records are retained as required by Canadian tax and accounting law (typically 7 years)
When information is no longer required, it is securely deleted or destroyed.
8. Your Rights
Under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable Ontario privacy law, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:
Right to access
You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will respond to such requests within 30 days.
Right to correction
If any personal information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request that we correct it.
Right to withdraw consent
Where we rely on your consent to use your personal information (such as for optional communications), you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent may limit our ability to provide certain services.
Right to deletion
You may request that we delete your personal information where we are not required by law to retain it. Note that MTO-mandated student records cannot be deleted before the legally required retention period has elapsed.
Right to complain
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at priv.gc.ca or by calling 1-800-282-1376.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 12.
9. Cookies and Analytics
Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience and understand how visitors use the site.
Essential cookies
Some cookies are necessary for the basic operation of our website, such as maintaining your session while filling out a form. These cannot be disabled without affecting site functionality.
Analytics
We may use an analytics service (such as Google Analytics) to collect aggregate, anonymised data about website visits, page views, and traffic sources. This data does not identify you personally and is used only to understand and improve our website.
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some functionality of our website.
10. Children and Minors
Many of our students are teenagers aged 16 and older who hold a G1 licence. Where a student is under 18, we expect that a parent or legal guardian has reviewed this policy and consents to the collection and use of the student's personal information for the purposes of driving instruction and MTO registration.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 16 without verifiable parental consent. If you believe a child under 16 has submitted personal information to us without appropriate consent, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our website or services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the personal information we hold about you, please contact us:
Omega Driving School
Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
Phone / Text: 416-425-5850
Email: info@omegadrivingschool.ca
We aim to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within 5 business days. For formal access requests under PIPEDA, we will respond within 30 days as required by law.