Terms and Conditions

Last updated: August 17, 2026

Please read these terms and conditions carefully before using Our Service.

Interpretation and Definitions

Interpretation

The words whose initial letters are capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.

Definitions

For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions:

  • Affiliate means an entity that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with a party, where “control” means ownership of 50% or more of the shares, equity interest or other securities entitled to vote for election of directors or other managing authority.

  • Centre (referred to as either “the Centre”, “We”, “Us” or “Our” in these Terms and Conditions) refers to SPARC Centre, Health Sciences Bldg, 155 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7.

  • Country/Province refers to: Ontario, Canada

  • Service refers to the Website.

  • Terms and Conditions (also referred to as “Terms”) means these Terms and Conditions, including any documents expressly incorporated by reference, which govern Your access to and use of the Service and form the entire agreement between You and the Centre regarding the Service. These Terms and Conditions have been created with the help of the Terms and Conditions Generator.

  • Third-Party Social Media Service means any services or content (including data, information, products or services) provided by a third party that is displayed, included, made available, or linked to through the Service.

  • University means the University of Toronto.

  • Website refers to SPARC Centre, accessible from sparccentre.ca

  • You means the individual accessing or using the Service, or the company, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Service, as applicable.

Acknowledgment

These are the Terms and Conditions governing the use of this Service and the agreement between You and the Centre. These Terms and Conditions set out the rights and obligations of all users regarding the use of the Service.

Your access to and use of the Service is conditioned on Your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms and Conditions. These Terms and Conditions apply to all visitors, users and others who access or use the Service.

By accessing or using the Service You agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If You disagree with any part of these Terms and Conditions then You may not access the Service.

You represent that you are over the age of 18. The Centre does not permit those under 18 to use the Service.

Your access to and use of the Service is also subject to Our Privacy Policy, which describes how We collect, use, and disclose personal information. Please read Our Privacy Policy carefully before using Our Service.

No Professional Advice

The Service and the content made available through it — including research summaries, educational materials, commentary, and journalism produced by learners and contributors — are provided for general information and educational purposes only. They do not constitute medical, health, legal, or other professional advice, do not create any clinician–patient or other professional relationship, and are not a substitute for consultation with a qualified professional.

You should not use the Service to diagnose or treat any health condition, and You should always seek the advice of a qualified health professional with any questions You may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. If You believe You may have a medical emergency, contact emergency services or attend Your nearest emergency department.

Views expressed in content authored by learners, trainees, contributors, or other third parties are those of their authors and are not necessarily those of the Centre or the University.

Collection of Personal Information

The Centre is part of the University. Personal information that You provide through the Service is collected pursuant to section 2(14) of the University of Toronto Act, 1971, and at all times it will be protected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Ontario) (“FIPPA”).

Personal information is collected for the purposes of administering membership in the Centre, registering and administering participation in the Centre’s programs, workshops, and events, evaluating and reporting on the Centre’s programs and activities, and sending You the communications You have asked to receive. It will be used and disclosed only in a manner consistent with FIPPA.

If You have questions about this collection, please contact the University Privacy Office, Knox College, Suite 175, 59 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2E6, [BUSINESS TELEPHONE], privacy@utoronto.ca. Further information about the University’s privacy practices is available at privacy.utoronto.ca. General enquiries about the Centre may be directed to sparchealth@utoronto.ca.

Electronic Communications

If You subscribe to Our newsletter, register as a member, or otherwise ask to hear from Us, You consent to receiving commercial electronic messages from the Centre at the address You provide, in accordance with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation. Every such message will identify the Centre, provide Our contact information, and include a functioning unsubscribe mechanism.

You may withdraw Your consent at any time by using the unsubscribe link in any message or by contacting Us at sparchealth@utoronto.ca, and We will give effect to Your withdrawal within 10 business days. We do not sell, rent, or trade Your contact information, and We do not send commercial electronic messages on behalf of third parties.

Intellectual Property

The Service and its original content, features, and functionality are and remain the property of the Centre and its licensors, and are protected by Canadian and international copyright, trade-mark, and other intellectual property laws. Nothing in these Terms transfers to You any right, title, or interest in the Service. Where content is made available for reuse under a stated licence, You may use it on the terms of that licence.

Your Submissions

The Service may allow You to send Us pitches, articles, proposals, questions, or other material (“Submissions”). You retain ownership of Your Submissions. By making a Submission, You grant the Centre a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store, reproduce, and review the Submission for the purpose of assessing and responding to it. We will not publish or otherwise distribute Your Submission without first obtaining Your agreement.

You represent that Your Submission is Your own work or that You otherwise hold the rights necessary to send it to Us, that it does not infringe the rights of any third party, and that it does not contain personal information about another person that You are not entitled to share. We may decline any Submission. Unless We have agreed otherwise in writing, Submissions are not made in confidence; if You wish to share material confidentially, please contact Us before submitting it so that We can agree how it will be handled.

Links to Other Websites

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by the Centre.

The Centre has no control over, and assumes no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites or services. You further acknowledge and agree that the Centre shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such websites or services.

We strongly advise You to read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any third-party websites or services that You visit.

Links from a Third-Party Social Media Service

The Service may display, include, make available, or link to content or services provided by a Third-Party Social Media Service. A Third-Party Social Media Service is not owned or controlled by the Centre, and the Centre does not endorse or assume responsibility for any Third-Party Social Media Service.

You acknowledge and agree that the Centre shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with Your access to or use of any Third-Party Social Media Service, including any content, goods, or services made available through them. Your use of any Third-Party Social Media Service is governed by that Third-Party Social Media Service’s terms and privacy policies.

Termination

We may terminate or suspend Your access immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason whatsoever, including without limitation if You breach these Terms and Conditions.

Upon termination, Your right to use the Service will cease immediately.

Limitation of Liability

Notwithstanding any damages that You might incur, the entire liability of the Centre and any of its suppliers under any provision of these Terms and Your exclusive remedy for all of the foregoing shall be limited to the amount actually paid by You through the Service or 100 CAD if You haven’t purchased anything through the Service.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall the Centre or its suppliers be liable for any special, incidental, indirect, or consequential damages whatsoever (including, but not limited to, damages for loss of profits, loss of data or other information, for business interruption, for personal injury, loss of privacy arising out of or in any way related to the use of or inability to use the Service, third-party software and/or third-party hardware used with the Service, or otherwise in connection with any provision of these Terms), even if the Centre or any supplier has been advised of the possibility of such damages and even if the remedy fails of its essential purpose.

Some provinces do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties or limitation of liability for incidental or consequential damages, which means that some of the above limitations may not apply. In those provinces, each party’s liability will be limited to the greatest extent permitted by law.

“AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” Disclaimer

The Service is provided to You “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” and with all faults and defects without warranty of any kind. To the maximum extent permitted under applicable law, the Centre, on its own behalf and on behalf of its Affiliates and its and their respective licensors and service providers, expressly disclaims all warranties, whether express, implied, statutory or otherwise, with respect to the Service, including all implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement, and warranties that may arise out of course of dealing, course of performance, usage or trade practice. Without limitation to the foregoing, the Centre provides no warranty or undertaking, and makes no representation of any kind that the Service will meet Your requirements, achieve any intended results, be compatible or work with any other software, applications, systems or services, operate without interruption, meet any performance or reliability standards or be error free or that any errors or defects can or will be corrected.

Without limiting the foregoing, neither the Centre nor any of the Centre’s providers makes any representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied: (i) as to the operation or availability of the Service, or the information, content, and materials or products included thereon; (ii) that the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free; (iii) as to the accuracy, reliability, or currency of any information or content provided through the Service; or (iv) that the Service, its servers, the content, or e-mails sent from or on behalf of the Centre are free of viruses, scripts, trojan horses, worms, malware, timebombs or other harmful components.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain types of warranties or limitations on applicable statutory rights of a consumer, so some or all of the above exclusions and limitations may not apply to You. But in such a case the exclusions and limitations set forth in this section shall be applied to the greatest extent enforceable under applicable law.

Governing Law

The laws of the Country/Province, excluding its conflicts of law rules, shall govern these Terms and Your use of the Service. Your use of the Service may also be subject to other local, provincial, national, or international laws.

Any dispute that is not resolved informally shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of Ontario, and You and the Centre each attorn to the jurisdiction of those courts.

Disputes Resolution

If You have any concern or dispute about the Service, You agree to first try to resolve the dispute informally by contacting the Centre.

For European Union (EU) Users

If You are a European Union consumer, you will benefit from any mandatory provisions of the law of the country in which You are resident.

Severability and Waiver

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be unenforceable or invalid, such provision will be changed and interpreted to accomplish the objectives of such provision to the greatest extent possible under applicable law and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

Waiver

Except as provided herein, the failure to exercise a right or to require performance of an obligation under these Terms shall not affect a party’s ability to exercise such right or require such performance at any time thereafter nor shall the waiver of a breach constitute a waiver of any subsequent breach.

Translation Interpretation

These Terms and Conditions may have been translated if We have made them available to You on our Service. You agree that the original English text shall prevail in the case of a dispute.

Changes to These Terms and Conditions

We reserve the right, at Our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material We will make reasonable efforts to provide at least 30 days’ notice prior to any new terms taking effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at Our sole discretion.

By continuing to access or use Our Service after those revisions become effective, You agree to be bound by the revised terms. If You do not agree to the new terms, in whole or in part, please stop using the Service.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, You can contact us: