Member Verification
Benefits
Becoming a verified member with our social clubs is as easy as using an online service with your cell phone camera. It comes with numerous advantages and is absolutely free:
- Enhanced Trust: Connect with a smaller, intimate community where every member has been verified in person, ensuring genuine interactions and increased security.
- Exclusive Access: Gain entry to a private events reserved for verified members, fostering a safer and more engaging environment.
- Peace of Mind: Enjoy the assurance that every participant in our community has met our verification standards.
How It Works
- Create an account on our web site
- Login and navigate to your Account Settings page
- Click the "Verify Identity" button.
- Complete the online verification process.
- Your account will automatically be upgraded and you'll receive official private, verified-members-only event invites!
Important Requirements
To ensure a smooth verification process, please note the following:
- Government Issued Photo ID: Must be presented for verification. We receive your full legal name and birthday.
- Facebook Account: Your profile should display your real face and at least your real first name.
- Integrity Check: You must not have a criminal record or be involved in illegal activities.
- Substance Use: You must not be using prohibited recreational drugs.
- Agreements: You must agree to our group rules, terms, and waiver.
IMPORTANT: We do not take or accept photos of your ID. Your personal information will be securely managed by an official third party processor and is not accessed or retained by us aside from your name and birthday. Under no circumstances should you ever send us a copy of your ID.
Why the Photo ID Verification Process?
We understand that providing photo ID might feel formal for a free group hike or social event, but there are several important reasons—especially here in Canada—why we ask for this information. These measures help protect not only you as a participant, but also our organizers and the group as a whole. Here’s a full explanation:
- Legal Validity of the Waiver
- Full Legal Name & Date of Birth: For any waiver to be legally valid, it must clearly identify the person who is signing it. Verifying your legal name and age ensures that the waiver would hold up in court if there were ever a dispute or legal claim.
- Protection Against Fraudulent Claims: Without ID verification, someone could later deny they ever signed the waiver or claim they used a false name. This poses serious legal risks for the organizer.
- Age Verification (Legal Capacity to Sign)
- In Canada, a person must be the age of majority (19+) to sign a waiver that is legally binding. By checking ID, we can ensure that:
- The signer is legally able to waive liability.
- We are not unknowingly allowing a minor to participate without proper parental or guardian consent, which could invalidate the waiver and result in legal liability.
- In Canada, a person must be the age of majority (19+) to sign a waiver that is legally binding. By checking ID, we can ensure that:
- Emergency & Medical Situations
- In the event of an accident or medical emergency, having your legal name and verified age helps first responders:
- Accurately identify you.
- Access your medical records if needed.
- Contact your emergency contact or family more efficiently.
- Accurate ID also helps if we ever need to file an incident report or assist with search and rescuecoordination.
- In the event of an accident or medical emergency, having your legal name and verified age helps first responders:
- Insurance & Liability Risk Reduction
- While we do not currently carry business insurance or operate as a registered society, collecting and verifying this information aligns with best practices used by insured and registered organizations.
- If someone were to pursue a legal claim or if a serious injury occurred, having properly completed waivers, signed with verified legal names and birthdates, significantly reduces personal liability exposure for the organizer.
- Accountability and Group Safety
- As our events are open to the public, verifying ID helps:
- Prevent false identities or unsafe individuals from joining.
- Ensure we have an accurate record of who is participating each time.Maintain a safe and respectful environment for everyone in the group.
- As our events are open to the public, verifying ID helps:
- Document Consistency
- Your verified legal name ensures consistency across:
- Waivers
- Group rosters
- Emergency reports
- Communications with authorities (if needed)
This helps avoid any confusion or administrative issues down the road.
- Your verified legal name ensures consistency across:
- Informed Consent
- Having a person’s legal identity confirmed helps ensure that they are knowingly entering into an agreement to accept risk, especially since outdoor events in Canada can involve exposure to wildlife, unpredictable weather, injuries, and other natural hazards.
- Protection for Volunteers and Organizers
- Because we’re not a registered business or nonprofit, organizers may be personally liable if something goes wrong. Having strong documentation—backed by verified ID—adds a critical layer of legal protection
In short, collecting and verifying your ID isn’t about formality—it’s about safety, legality, and mutual protection. We want to continue offering these hikes and social events to the community without barriers, but also without unnecessary risks to participants or organizers. That also being said we only retained the full name and birthday of the individual we do not retain copies of the photo ID and do not process it ourselves.
The ID verification process is managed by a professional third-party service that ensures both authenticity and data security. However, if you still have concerns regarding the safety of your personal information, you may choose an alternative verification method. You can print our group rules, waiver, and terms and conditions, then sign and date each document and bring them with you to an event in person. At that time, we will visually confirm your ID without retaining a copy and manually verify your online account.
Please note that we strongly discourage this option, as manually reviewing multiple profiles on-site can cause significant delays to the start of events.