Northern Focus, owned and operated by Northern Beacon Media Inc., respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your data when you visit northernfocus.org or interact with us.
What personal data do we collect?
We collect only the personal information you voluntarily provide or that is necessary for our digital operations. This includes your name and email address when you subscribe to our newsletter, contact us via info@northernfocus.org, submit a tip to tips@northernfocus.org, or engage with our sponsored content or advertising partners.
We also automatically collect technical data such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, and browsing behaviour on our site through cookies and similar technologies. This data is anonymized where possible and used to improve site performance and reader experience. For full details, please see our Cookie Policy.
Why do we collect your data and what is our lawful basis?
We collect your data to deliver our editorial mission: trustworthy Canadian regional journalism. Our lawful bases under PIPEDA are consent and legitimate interest. When you subscribe to our newsletter via Newsletter, you provide explicit consent. For technical data, we rely on legitimate interest in operating and improving our site.
Specifically, we use your data to send you requested newsletters, respond to your inquiries, process tips submitted via Tip Us, manage advertising and affiliate relationships, and analyse site traffic. We never use personal data for purposes incompatible with these stated purposes without obtaining new consent.
How long do we keep your data?
We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected or as required by law. Newsletter subscriber data is retained until you unsubscribe. Technical logs are kept for up to 12 months. If you submit a correction request or complaint, related records are retained for two years after resolution.
When data is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it. Our retention schedules are reviewed annually by Andrew Leblanc, our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, to ensure compliance with PIPEDA.
Do we share or sell your personal data?
We never sell your personal data to third parties. We share data only with trusted service providers who help us operate our site, such as email delivery platforms and analytics tools, under strict contractual agreements that prohibit any other use. We may also disclose data if required by law or to protect our legal rights.
Our commercial partnerships, including display advertising and affiliate links, are governed by our Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure. Sponsored content is clearly labelled, and affiliate links are disclosed. No commercial relationship determines editorial conclusions, as outlined in our Ownership & Funding page.
What are your rights regarding your personal data?
Under PIPEDA, you have the right to access, correct, and withdraw consent for the personal data we hold about you. You can request access to your data, ask us to correct inaccuracies, or withdraw your consent for specific uses (such as newsletter subscriptions) at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
To exercise these rights, email our privacy team at privacy@northernfocus.org. We will respond within 30 days. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at https://www.priv.gc.ca/.
What you can expect from us
We are committed to transparency and accountability in all data practices. Our editorial team, led by Editor-in-Chief Catherine Roy, ensures that every article is fact-checked and reviewed before publication, as detailed in our Fact-Checking Policy. AI-assisted tools may support research or drafting but never replace human editorial judgement, as explained in our AI & Automation Policy.
We also maintain a Corrections Policy and a Complaints Procedure to address any concerns promptly. Our Editorial Policy and Sources & Standards page outline our commitment to accuracy and fairness. For more about our team, visit Our Team.
Questions or concerns?
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact our privacy team at privacy@northernfocus.org. For general inquiries, reach us at info@northernfocus.org or call +1 416 555 0210. You may also write to our registered office: Unit 12, 95 King Street East, Toronto, ON M5C 1G4, Canada. For editorial concerns, contact Editor-in-Chief Catherine Roy at catherine.roy@northernfocus.org or +1 416 555 0220. To file a formal complaint, please refer to our Complaints Procedure or contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada directly.