The Town of Saugeen Shores uses official social media accounts as additional communication channels to share municipal information, provide updates, and support respectful community interaction. These accounts complement, but do not replace, the Town’s official website, public notices, formal consultation processes, service request channels, complaints processes, or other official Town processes. By commenting, messaging, tagging, sharing, reposting, or otherwise engaging with Town social media accounts, users agree to follow these Terms of Use.
Using Town Social Media Accounts
Town social media accounts are generally monitored during standard business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, excluding holidays. The Town will make reasonable efforts to respond to appropriate questions or concerns submitted through comments or direct messages; however, the Town is not required to respond to messages or comments that are commentary in nature, are posted on external accounts, groups, or pages, or require a formal Town process.
Social media should not be used to report emergencies, urgent service issues, time-sensitive matters, formal complaints, service requests, or requests involving personal information. For emergencies, call 9-1-1.
For service requests, complaints, formal feedback, information requests, or matters requiring follow-up, users should use the appropriate Town channel. The Town may redirect users to a Town department, service request process, complaints process, public engagement opportunity, or other official channel where a matter requires formal review, follow-up, or response. Comments and messages submitted through social media are not considered official requests unless otherwise confirmed through an official Town process.
The Town’s website, saugeenshores.ca, remains the official source for municipal information. Where there is a difference between information posted on social media and information provided through an official Town source, the official Town source will apply.
Following, liking, sharing, reposting, tagging, or linking to another account, page, or platform does not imply Town endorsement. The Town is not responsible for the content, availability, privacy practices, moderation decisions, or terms of use of third-party platforms, external accounts, or linked pages.
Public Conduct
The Town welcomes respectful, relevant, and appropriate discussion on its social media accounts. Users are expected to keep comments, messages, tags, shares, and other interactions respectful, relevant to the topic, and consistent with these Terms of Use, the Town’s RZone – Respect and Responsibility Policy, applicable legislation, Town policies, and platform terms of use.
The Town may, at its discretion, hide, remove, limit, disable, or otherwise restrict comments or content that does not comply with these expectations, including content that:
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Threatens, harasses, attacks, or defames a person, organization, or group
The Town is not required to notify users when content is hidden, removed, limited, disabled, or otherwise restricted. Comments or messages involving threats, safety concerns, harassment, or unlawful activity may be escalated to appropriate Town staff or authorities. Repeated violations may be addressed in accordance with the Town’s RZone – Respect and Responsibility Policy.
Privacy and Personal Information
Users should not share personal, confidential, or sensitive information, such as addresses, phone numbers, account details, or information about another person, in public comments or messages.
If a request involves personal information, a service request, a complaint, or another matter that needs follow-up, the Town may direct the user to a more appropriate and secure Town channel.
Changes to These Terms
These Terms of Use may be updated from time to time. Continued use of Town social media accounts means users accept any changes.
Notice of Collection of Personal Information
Information shared through the Town's social media accounts may be collected, used, and retained by the Town for the purpose of administering its social media accounts, communicating with the public, and responding to inquiries, in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). Social media platforms are operated by third parties and are subject to their own privacy practices. Users should not post personal, confidential, or sensitive information through social media channels. Questions regarding the collection of personal information may be directed to the Town Clerk, Head under MFIPPA, Town of Saugeen Shores, 600 Tomlinson Drive, Port Elgin, ON N0H 2C0, 519-832-2008.
