Last updated: March 2026
Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to 1000 Towns of Canada (“1000towns.ca,” “we,” or “us”), and describes how we collect, use, and protect information through our website at 1000towns.ca.
We are committed to protecting the privacy of all visitors and comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation.
This policy applies only to our website. Links to third-party websites are provided for convenience and are governed by their own privacy policies.
By using our website, you consent to the practices described here. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the site.
1. What We Collect
We collect information that you voluntarily provide, including:
- Contact forms: Name, email address, town name, and message content when you submit a form on our site.
- Newsletter subscription: Email address when you subscribe through our MailerLite-powered signup forms.
- Trip Planner registration: Email address and preferences when you create an account.
- Trip AI: Text queries you submit when using our AI-powered travel recommendation feature.
- User contributions: Content you submit about towns, places, or experiences, including ratings and comments.
We also collect certain information automatically through cookies and analytics tools, as described below.
2. How we use your information
We use the information we collect to:
- Respond to your inquiries and form submissions.
- Send newsletters and updates to subscribers who have opted in.
- Improve our website content, features, and user experience.
- Monitor site traffic and usage patterns through analytics.
- Deliver Google search advertising related to Canadian travel and small-town tourism.
- Process Trip AI queries to provide travel recommendations.
- Prevent spam and abuse.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.
3. Newsletter (MailerLite)
When you subscribe to our newsletter, your email address is stored and managed by MailerLite, a third-party email marketing service. MailerLite may collect your email address, IP address, and information about how you interact with our emails (opens, clicks).
You can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of any email. Once unsubscribed, your email address is removed from our active sending list.
4. Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website. Google Analytics collects information such as pages visited, time on site, browser type, device, and approximate geographic location. IP anonymization is enabled.
Google Analytics uses cookies. You can opt out by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.
5. Google Ads
Our website participates in Google search advertising. Google may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our site or other websites. We use Google Ads to promote Canadian small-town travel content to relevant audiences.
You can manage your ad preferences or opt out of personalized advertising at Google Ad Settings
6. Trip AI Feature
Our Trip AI feature uses the OpenAI API to generate travel recommendations based on the queries you submit. When you use Trip AI:
- Your text input is sent to OpenAI’s servers for processing.
- We do not send your name, email, or other personal identifiers to OpenAI.
- OpenAI may temporarily process your query to generate a response. OpenAI’s data usage policies apply to this processing.
7. Contact Forms and Spam Prevention (Akismet)
When you submit a contact form, the following data may be shared with the Akismet anti-spam service for spam filtering: IP address, user agent, name, email address, website URL, and message content.
Form submissions are stored in our site database and emailed to us. We use this information only to respond to your inquiry.
8. Cookies
Our site uses cookies for the following purposes:
- Analytics: Google Analytics cookies to track site usage.
- Advertising: Google Ads cookies for ad delivery and measurement.
- Functionality: WordPress cookies for site operation, login sessions, and subscription preferences.
- Newsletter: MailerLite may set cookies when you interact with signup forms.
Most browsers allow you to manage or disable cookies through their settings.
9. Disclosure of information
We do not disclose your personal information to third parties except:
- To service providers who process data on our behalf (MailerLite, Google, OpenAI, Akismet), as described above.
- When required by law, regulation, court order, or legal process.
- To protect the rights, safety, or property of 1000 Towns of Canada or its users.
Some of these services may store or process data outside of Canada.
10. Authorized contributors
Content on 1000towns.ca is developed with the support of university students, volunteers, and community contributors. Authorized contributors may access website management tools and analytics as part of their work. All contributors are expected to handle any data they encounter responsibly and in accordance with this policy.
11. Your rights
Under Canadian privacy law, you have the right to:
- Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
- Request correction of inaccurate information.
- Withdraw your consent for data collection (which may limit your ability to use certain features).
- Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@1000towns.ca.
12. Children’s privacy
Our website is intended for a general audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that we have collected such information, we will take steps to delete it.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
14. Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled:
1000 Towns of Canada