Terms & Conditions

1. ✅ Acceptance of Terms

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the midlandcommunity.ca website, including all content, features, and services available at midlandcommunity.ca (collectively, the "Site"), operated by Midland Community Hub ("we," "us," "our," "Operator").

By accessing, browsing, or using the Site in any way — including reading listings, submitting suggestions, subscribing to our newsletter, clicking on links, or saving services — you unconditionally accept and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

If you are accessing the Site on behalf of an organization or business, you represent that you have the authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

These Terms apply to all visitors, users, advertisers, and other parties who access or use the Site. Your continued use of the Site after any modifications to these Terms constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. 🏛️ About This Service

Midland Community Hub is an independent, community-oriented information directory designed to help residents, newcomers, and visitors to Midland, Ontario, Canada locate community services, government programs, local organizations, and emergency resources.

We are NOT:

• A government agency, department, or Crown corporation at any level (federal, provincial, or municipal)
• Affiliated with or authorized by the Town of Midland, the Province of Ontario, or the Government of Canada
• A healthcare provider, medical clinic, hospital, or health authority
• A legal services provider, law firm, or legal aid organization
• A social services agency, crisis centre, or shelter operator
• A financial institution or financial advisory service
• An emergency dispatch service

Our sole function is to compile, organize, and present publicly available information about community services to make it easier for residents to find help. We do not provide any of the services listed in our directory.

3. 📋 Directory Accuracy Disclaimer

While we make reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy and completeness of directory listings, we make no representations, warranties, or guarantees, express or implied, regarding:

• The accuracy, currency, completeness, or reliability of any listing
• Whether a listed service is still operating, accepting clients, or available
• Whether contact information (phone, address, website) is current
• The quality, safety, or effectiveness of any listed service
• The eligibility of any individual for any listed service
• Whether any listed service will meet your specific needs
• Wait times, funding availability, or capacity of any service

The directory is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We expressly disclaim all warranties, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise, to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of Ontario and Canada.

4. 🚫 No Endorsement of Listed Services

The inclusion of any organization, service, phone number, website, business, or resource in this directory does not constitute our recommendation, endorsement, approval, or verification of that service. We do not investigate, certify, rate, or vouch for any listed service.

Users must exercise their own judgment when selecting and contacting services listed in this directory. We encourage users to:

• Research services independently before contacting them
• Verify credentials of professional service providers (doctors, lawyers, social workers, etc.)
• Read reviews and seek personal recommendations where possible
• Contact the Ontario College of regulated professions to verify licensing
• Report concerns about listed services to the appropriate regulatory body

"Featured" listings, which appear with a gold badge, are paid advertising placements. The payment of an advertising fee does not affect our assessment of a service's quality, and paid placement is clearly disclosed. See Section 8 (Advertising) for further details.

5. ⚖️ Limitation of Liability

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties or the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages. If you are accessing this Site from a jurisdiction that restricts such exclusions, some of the above limitations may not apply to you.

6. 🛡️ Indemnification

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Midland Community Hub and its operators, employees, volunteers, contributors, licensors, and service providers from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, and fees (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or relating to:

• Your violation of these Terms
• Your use of the Site or any listed service
• Any content you submit through forms on this Site (service suggestions, event submissions, etc.)
• Your violation of any third party's rights, including intellectual property rights
• Any claim that your submission caused damage to a third party
• Your violation of any applicable laws, rules, or regulations

7. 👥 User Conduct & Submissions

7.1 Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Site only for lawful purposes consistent with these Terms. You agree not to:

• Use the Site in any way that violates applicable federal, provincial, or local laws of Canada or Ontario
• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent service or event listings
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Site or its infrastructure
• Use automated scraping tools, bots, or spiders to extract data without written permission
• Introduce malicious code, viruses, or harmful components
• Collect personal information of other users without their consent
• Impersonate any person, organization, or government entity
• Use the Site to distribute spam or unsolicited commercial communications

7.2 User Submissions (Service Suggestions, Event Listings)

By submitting a service suggestion, event listing, or any other content to us, you represent and warrant that:

• The information you are submitting is accurate to the best of your knowledge
• You have the right to submit this information and it does not violate any third party's rights
• The submission does not contain false advertising, defamatory content, or harassment
• You are not submitting the information for any fraudulent or deceptive purpose

By submitting content, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable licence to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, and display such content in the directory and associated communications. We reserve the right to reject, edit, or remove any submission at our sole discretion without notice or liability.

7.3 We Are Not Responsible for User Submissions

We do not pre-screen all user submissions and cannot guarantee the accuracy of community-submitted information. If you believe a listing is inaccurate, harmful, or inappropriate, please contact us at [email protected].

8. 💼 Advertising & Sponsored Content

Midland Community Hub offers paid advertising and sponsorship opportunities as a revenue stream to help fund the ongoing operation of this free community directory.

8.1 Disclosure of Paid Placements

All paid or sponsored listings are clearly identified with visual indicators (e.g., "⭐ Featured" badge, "Sponsored by" labels). These disclosures are made in accordance with the Competition Act (Canada) and applicable advertising standards.

8.2 Advertising Does Not Influence Community Listings

Payment of advertising fees does not influence the inclusion, exclusion, or placement of non-paid community service listings. Non-paid listings are included based solely on their relevance and benefit to the Midland community.

8.3 Advertiser Conduct

Advertisers agree to provide accurate business information and must comply with all applicable Canadian laws including the Competition Act, Consumer Protection Act, 2002 (Ontario), and CASL. We reserve the right to reject or remove any advertising that is false, misleading, illegal, offensive, or contrary to community standards.

8.4 No Advertiser Liability Transfer

We are not responsible for the products, services, or conduct of any advertiser. Advertising agreements are governed by separate terms agreed upon at time of purchase.

9. ©️ Intellectual Property

The midlandcommunity.ca website, including its design, layout, original text, graphics, logos, and organizational structure (collectively, the "Site Content"), is owned by or licensed to Midland Community Hub and is protected by Canadian copyright law under the Copyright Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-42, and applicable international treaties.

9.1 What You May Do

• View and use the Site for personal, non-commercial informational purposes
• Share links to the Site on social media and other platforms
• Print pages for personal reference
• Share the URL of this directory with community members

9.2 What You May NOT Do Without Written Permission

• Reproduce, copy, or republish substantial portions of the directory for commercial purposes
• Create derivative works based on the Site's original content or design
• Scrape or systematically extract data from the Site for use in competing directories or databases
• Remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or proprietary notices
• Sell, resell, or sub-licence access to the Site or its content

9.3 Third-Party Content

Contact information, service descriptions, and details of government programs listed in this directory are factual public information not subject to copyright protection in Canada. Government logos, trademarks, and official names remain the property of their respective owners. We use service names and contact details solely for factual directory purposes and claim no ownership thereof.

9.4 Copyright Complaints

If you believe any content on our Site infringes your copyright, please contact us at [email protected] with a description of the allegedly infringing material and proof of ownership. We will respond promptly and in accordance with applicable Canadian law.

10. 🔗 Third-Party Websites & Services

Our directory contains hyperlinks to external websites operated by government agencies, charities, businesses, and other organizations. These links are provided for convenience only.

When you click a link and leave our Site, this policy no longer applies. We encourage you to review the terms and privacy policies of any site you visit.

11. 🚫 No Professional Advice

Always consult qualified professionals for medical, legal, financial, mental health, or other professional matters. If you are experiencing a health emergency, call 9-1-1. If you are in a mental health crisis, call 9-8-8. If you need community services, call 2-1-1.

The listing of a professional or professional organization in our directory does not constitute advice to use that professional or organization.

12. 🚨 Emergency Services Notice

While we provide listings for crisis lines, emergency services, and mental health crisis numbers, inclusion in our directory does not mean those services monitor our Site or will respond through it. Crisis lines must be contacted directly via their published telephone numbers.

Crisis and emergency contact numbers are provided as publicly available information only. We cannot guarantee their accuracy or availability at any given time. If a crisis line number does not work, please call 9-1-1.

13. ⚖️ Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions, and any dispute arising out of or in connection with them or the use of this Site, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict of law principles.

You irrevocably agree that the courts of the Province of Ontario (specifically the Superior Court of Justice for the County of Simcoe) shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising under these Terms, and you waive any objection to the jurisdiction of such courts.

Applicable legislation includes, without limitation:

• Electronic Commerce Act, 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 17 (Ontario)
• Consumer Protection Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sch. A (Ontario)
• Copyright Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-42 (Canada)
• Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), S.C. 2000, c. 5 (Canada)
• Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), S.C. 2010, c. 23 (Canada)
• Competition Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-34 (Canada)

14. 🤝 Dispute Resolution

14.1 Good Faith Resolution

Before initiating any formal dispute process, you agree to contact us in good faith at [email protected] and allow us 30 days to attempt resolution of your concern informally. We genuinely want to resolve concerns without formal proceedings.

14.2 Mediation

If informal resolution fails, the parties agree to attempt resolution through mediation before proceeding to litigation. Mediation shall be conducted in Simcoe County, Ontario, under the rules of the ADR Institute of Ontario, unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.

14.3 Limitation Period

Any claim or cause of action arising out of or related to your use of this Site or these Terms must be filed within two (2) years after the date such claim arose, or such shorter period as provided under applicable Ontario law, failing which the claim is permanently barred.

15. 🔄 Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to modify or replace these Terms at any time at our sole discretion. We will provide notice of material changes by:

• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Posting a prominent notice on our Site homepage for 30 days
• Notifying newsletter subscribers by email of significant changes

Your continued use of the Site after the effective date of any modification constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, your sole remedy is to discontinue use of the Site.

We will maintain an archive of previous versions of these Terms, available upon request by emailing [email protected].

16. 🔧 Severability & Waiver

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or if it cannot be so modified, it shall be severed from these Terms. The remaining provisions of these Terms shall continue in full force and effect.

Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. Any waiver of any provision of these Terms will be effective only if in writing and signed by an authorized representative of Midland Community Hub.

17. 📄 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy (incorporated herein by reference), constitute the entire agreement between you and Midland Community Hub with respect to your use of the Site, and supersede all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties, whether written or oral, regarding the Site.

No oral or written statements by our representatives, other than as expressly set out herein, shall be binding.

These Terms are available in English only. The English version governs in the event of any conflict with any translated version.

18. 📬 Contact Information