Northern Focus (northernfocus.org) uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience, analyse traffic, and support our independent Canadian journalism. This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, which categories we use, how you can control them, and where to find more information. It supplements our Privacy Policy and should be read alongside it. For questions, contact our privacy desk at privacy@northernfocus.org.
What are cookies and how does Northern Focus use them?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help the site remember your preferences, authenticate your session, and provide usage statistics. Northern Focus, owned and operated by Northern Beacon Media Inc., uses cookies solely to deliver a secure, functional, and relevant reading experience. We never use cookies to build secret profiles or sell your personal data.
We distinguish between essential cookies (required for the site to work) and non‑essential cookies (used for analytics, advertising, and personalisation). For non‑essential categories, we ask for your explicit consent before placing them. You can change your preferences at any time via our Cookie Settings mechanism.
What types of cookies do we use?
We use the following categories of cookies on Northern Focus:
- Essential cookies – Necessary for basic functions such as page navigation, security, and remembering your cookie consent choice. These cannot be disabled.
- Functional cookies – Allow the site to remember your preferences (e.g., text size, region) and enable optional features like saved articles.
- Analytics cookies – Help us understand how readers use the site, which articles are most popular, and where traffic comes from. Data is aggregated and anonymised. We use services such as a privacy‑focused analytics tool; no data is shared with third parties for advertising.
- Advertising cookies – Used to deliver relevant display ads and measure ad performance. We partner with responsible ad networks. You may opt out of these at any time.
- Affiliate and partnership cookies – Applied when you follow an affiliate link from our content. These track referrals so we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. They are non‑essential and subject to your consent.
All non‑essential cookies are activated only after you provide informed consent. A full list of cookies, their purposes, and durations is available in our Cookie Settings panel, accessible from the footer of every page.
How can you manage or withdraw your consent?
You can control cookie preferences at any time through our Cookie Settings link, located in the footer of every page on northernfocus.org. That panel lets you enable or disable each category of non‑essential cookies individually. Withdrawing consent will remove or block the relevant cookies from your device, though essential cookies will remain active to keep the site running.
Most browsers also allow you to manage cookies via their settings (e.g., block all third‑party cookies, clear cookies on exit). For detailed guidance, visit your browser’s help section. Note that disabling all cookies may affect certain features of Northern Focus. For further privacy controls, read our Privacy Policy.
What you can expect from us
As an independent Canadian news publisher, Northern Focus is committed to transparency and reader trust. We will never place non‑essential cookies without your clear, informed consent. Our editorial mission – trustworthy regional journalism without spin – extends to how we handle your data. Cookie data is stored securely, retained only as long as necessary for the stated purpose, and never repurposed. We do not share raw cookie data with advertisers; aggregated statistics are used to improve our coverage. If we update this policy or our cookie practices, we will notify you via a prominent notice on our site and seek fresh consent where required.
Who is responsible for our cookie practices?
Andrew Leblanc, Standards & Fact‑Checking Lead, oversees data‑related policies including cookies. For editorial questions about cookie use, contact our Editor‑in‑Chief Catherine Roy. For privacy‑specific matters, reach our privacy desk at privacy@northernfocus.org. You can also write to Northern Beacon Media Inc., Unit 12, 95 King Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 1G4, Canada. Our Contact page lists all editorial and business departments.
How do we handle updates to this Cookie Policy?
This policy may be updated to reflect changes in technology, legal requirements (e.g., Canadian privacy law), or our services. The “Last updated” date at the bottom of this page will be revised. Material changes will be communicated via a site‑wide notice and, where necessary, a request for renewed consent. We encourage you to review this page periodically. The current version is always accessible at /about-us/cookie-policy/.
Questions or concerns?
If you have any questions about how Northern Focus uses cookies, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or believe a breach of this policy has occurred, please contact our privacy desk directly at privacy@northernfocus.org. You may also refer to our Complaints Procedure for escalation steps. For general inquiries about our editorial standards, see our Editorial Policy and Sources & Standards pages.