Privacy Statement

The HHB Privacy Statement was last updated on January 26, 2026                                 

Halifax Harbour Bridges (HHB) is committed to protecting the privacy of its users and visitors, in compliance with the Nova Scotia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIPOP) Act and other applicable legislation.

This Privacy Statement describes our our privacy practices and the main categories of Personal Information we collect from you, including those associated with HHB websites. This is not intended to describe every situation in which HHB may collect Personal Information.

Personal Information We Collect

Personal Information means recorded information about an identifiable individual such as an individual’s name, address, email address, telephone number, license plate number, travel information, personal image (e.g., surveillance footage), and other information defined as Personal Information in the FOIPOP Act. General information such as aggregated statistical information obtained from bridge traffic or visit traffic on certain areas of HHB Websites is not considered to be Personal Information.

HHB will only collect Personal Information about you if it relates directly to and is necessary for an operating program or activity of HHB, or as otherwise permitted or required by law. Before we collect Personal Information from you, we will make available a notice (such as this Privacy Statement available on our website) that explains our legal authority to collect your Personal Information, the purpose for which the information is being collected, and who to contact with questions. We will make reasonable efforts to ensure that any Personal Information we collect from you is accurate, complete and up to date. The Personal Information we collect from you is described in this section of the Privacy Statement.

HHB Bridge Patrol

HHB Bridge Patrol collects Personal Information for law enforcement purposes (such as to issue a ticket for an infraction) or for the purposes of incident management (such as for accident investigation purposes).  HHB Bridge Patrol, as Special Constables appointed by the Nova Scotia Department of Justice, have the authority to issue tickets for speeding, texting while driving, or other infractions under the NS Motor Vehicles Act. HHB Bridge Patrol will collect Personal Information required by the Department of Justice if you are issued a ticket for such an infraction. HHB Bridge Patrol may also collect your Personal Information if you have been involved in an incident on the bridge to the extent that it is necessary to document and investigate the incident.  

Video Surveillance

HHB operates video surveillance cameras across the bridges and on HHB Bridge Patrol vehicles.  While you are crossing the bridges or visiting our facilities, information identifying you, including your image, may be recorded by video surveillance cameras as necessary to ensure the efficient operation of our bridges and services, and to ensure the security and protection of all visitors, HHB staff and HHB property.  

Traffic Monitoring

To support traffic management, HHB monitors traffic flow and travel times in real time through a variety of means, including through a series of roadway sensors that may collect Bluetooth signals.

HHB has adopted an approach that has become very common across North America, with many traffic authorities and major technology companies using similar approaches. When a Bluetooth device like a smartphone is in search mode, it sends out a signal called a Media Access Control (MAC) address. HHB has positioned sensors at various points along the bridge, which pick up the MAC address where available. By measuring the time between pings against the fixed distance between the sensors, HHB can estimate bridge travel times. Information collected from these sensors cannot be traced back to you or your device and is not stored in HHB’s systems in any way.

HHB Web Cameras

HHB operates web cameras located at the on and off ramp of both bridges. The web cameras live stream footage on our Website (https://halifaxharbourbridges.ca/) so you can monitor traffic on the bridges. The web cameras are positioned in a way that attempts to limit the ability to read a license plate or identify an individual in a vehicle; however, in certain circumstances, it may be possible.

Social Networks

HHB may use accounts on social networks, including Facebook, X (previously Twitter), Instagram, and others to share information with the public about bridge traffic, lane closures, maintenance progress, events, and to promote contests or other bridge-related information. HHB’s social media accounts are publicly accessible; if you post or comment on these accounts, this information may be publicly visible, depending on your privacy settings. Your privacy and the protection and retention of information on social media accounts are governed by the privacy policies of the parties that operate these social networks. You are encouraged to review the privacy policies and terms and conditions of use of the parties that operate these networks prior to participating. We do not have any control over such platforms, and therefore we have no responsibility or liability for the manner in which such platforms collect, use, disclose, secure and otherwise treat your Personal Information.

HHB may collect information available to us about social media activity to provide content that is relevant to users of these social media platforms.  If we want to use photos you have posted for use on our channels or in our publications, we will ask for your consent in advance.

Marketing, Contests and Surveys

We will not send you electronic advertising or marketing messages without your consent. When you choose to enter an HHB sponsored contest or participate in an HHB survey, we may collect your Personal Information. We use this information to administer the contest or survey including contacting and announcing prize winners. At the time you enter a contest or take a survey, we may obtain your consent to send you future communications from HHB.

Communicating With Us and Customer Service

If you choose to contact us via email or phone, we will collect and use the Personal Information you provide to contact you and respond to your inquiry. We may also monitor and record phone calls for customer service, training, and record keeping purposes.

Job Applications and Employment

We collect your Personal Information when you apply for employment (through our website or otherwise) to assess your suitability for employment. We collect Personal Information from employees for the purposes of establishing and managing the employment relationship.

How We Use and Disclose Your Personal Information

We will only use or disclose your Personal Information for the purposes for which it was collected or compiled or for a compatible purpose, unless the FOIPOP Act or another law authorizes another use or disclosure of your Personal Information, or unless we obtain your express consent to use or disclose your Personal Information for another purpose.

MACPASS Program

After 25 years, the use of MACPASS transponders to cross Halifax Harbour Bridges has ended. Tolls on both bridges were removed and the MACPASS system shut down, effective March 17, 2025.

HHB must retain personal information about account holders after the closure of MACPASS accounts to process refunds as applicable, to allow individuals to access their account information on file, and to meet any legislative obligations. Following a reasonable retention period, HHB will securely destroy MACPASS account information.

What account information does MACPASS have?

HHB’s MACPASS system was designed to limit the amount of personal information collected and used. Individuals can continue to access the personal information HHB has about them by logging into their MyMACPASS account. HHB does not collect or store any additional personal information than what is viewable through the account, and information from the MyMACPASS account does not get shared with or replicated to any other HHB system.

What personal information do we disclose?

We will only use or disclose your Personal Information for the purposes for which it was collected or compiled or for a compatible purpose, unless the FOIPOP Act or another law authorizes another use or disclosure of your Personal Information, or unless we obtain your written consent to use or disclose your Personal Information for another purpose. 

We may be required by law to disclose your Personal Information, for example as follows:

• Name, address, date of birth and Driver Licence number to the Registry of Motor Vehicles if you are involved in a collision on a bridge that requires reporting under provincial legislation;
• Contact information and description of offence, as required on Summary Offence Ticket forms to the Department of Justice when issuing infraction tickets;
• To a law enforcement agency or a court if it is required to comply with a subpoena, warrant, summons, or order, or to assist in an investigation; or
• For other purposes required or permitted by law.

In all cases, we will only use and disclose the minimum amount of Personal Information for the legally permitted or required purpose. We will never sell your Personal Information.

Your Privacy and our Websites

Personal Information, such as your name, phone number or email address, is not automatically gathered from you when visiting HHB websites. HHB only collects this type of information if you supply it to us voluntarily. The information we gather from you automatically is described in this part of our Privacy Statement.

Web Server Logs

When you access HHB websites, our servers collect certain information about your internet connection and your browsing experience, including the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your internet connection and information about what you access on the Website. IP addresses are unique numbers assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to all devices used to access the Internet. This information is used for purposes of internal security audit logging, trend analyses and system administration, and to gather broad demographic information about our user base for aggregate use. This information may be shared with third parties to provide services to us or to analyze, store or aggregate the information.

We protect and restrict access to this information and only use it to manage the Website.  We do not attempt to use this information to identify individuals visiting the Website, unless we detect an attempt to damage or violate the site, or if a law enforcement investigation requires it.

Cookies

Our websites may use cookies. Cookies may be in the form of small data files that are sent to your internet browser that help you to navigate between pages efficiently and improve your browsing experience. Other cookies may be stored on your computer’s hard drive for some length of time to identify unique users across browsing sessions (i.e., when you close and re-open your browser), which are used for website analytics, as described below. Cookies do not allow us to identify individuals. You may adjust your internet browser settings to reject cookies if you choose. If you choose to modify these browser settings, some pages of our websites may not function properly.

Website Analytics

HHB uses Google Analytics to help us understand visitor activity to improve our Website. This service uses cookies to generate statistical information about visits to our Website. The following information may be sent to Google in the United States from your computer when you visit certain HHB web pages:  

• the originating IP address, which is anonymized by Google once collected,  
• the city associated with the IP address,
• the date and time of the request,
• the type of browser and device used,
• the page(s) visited, and
• websites that referred you to the digital service

Google collects this information on behalf of HHB and compiles statistical reports for our use. HHB uses this non-personal data to determine opportunities for Website improvement.  The use of Google Analytics does not allow HHB to identify individuals.

You can opt-out of Google Analytics activity if you choose by setting your browser to notify you when a Cookie is sent, and block analytics Cookies. Google currently offers a free Google Analytics opt-out tool that will automatically set up your browser to block analytics Cookies.  Visiting our Website with Google Analytics Cookies disabled will have no significant impact on your browsing experience.

Links to other Websites

This Website may include links to other websites operated by other organizations. HHB is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external websites, and this Privacy Statement does not apply to these external websites.

Third Parties Acting on Our Behalf

HHB uses certain third parties to provide services on our behalf such as software and hardware systems and support. These service providers may have access to your Personal Information to the extent that it is needed to provide the services on HHB’s behalf.  Each of our service providers must contractually agree to comply with HHB’s privacy and security standards to perform services for HHB. Some of our service providers rely upon cloud computing, which means that Personal Information may be processed or stored outside Canada and may be subject to the applicable laws in those jurisdictions.

Protection of Your Personal Information

Under the FOIPOP Act, HHB must protect your Personal Information by making reasonable security arrangements against such risks as unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, or disposal.  We safeguard your Personal Information using a combination of administrative, physical, and technical controls that are appropriate given the nature of the information collected and handled by and on behalf of HHB.  Any Personal Information you provide to HHB will be securely stored, accessed only by employees or service providers who need to know the information to fulfill their duties, and retained only as long as needed for business or legal purposes.

Inquiring About Our Privacy Practices

For questions about this Privacy Statement, to inquire about how your Personal Information is handled by HHB, to ask for a copy of or to request a correction to your Personal Information held by HHB, of if you have a complaint that your personal information was collected, used or disclosed in a manner that is inconsistent with this statement or applicable legislation, you may contact HHB’s Privacy Officer by email at dlowe@hdbc.ns.ca or by mail at Halifax Harbour Bridges, PO Box 40, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 3Y2.

Changes to this Privacy Statement

HHB may make updates to this Privacy Statement at any time if we make changes to our management of this Website, to the Personal Information we collect, or to our practices for handling your Personal Information. You are encouraged to re-visit this Privacy Statement regularly to ensure your continued understanding.