Privacy & Legal

Effective Date: August 20, 2026
Website: thenorthbayfiles.ca
Project: The North Bay Files (“we,” “us,” or “our”)

Our Commitment to Privacy

The North Bay Files is an independent, resident-led public record and transparency archive. We believe that access to civic information should not come at the cost of your personal privacy. We operate under a strict data minimization principle: if we do not need your data to display public records, we do not collect it.

Information We Do NOT Collect

To remain completely transparent about our operations:

• No User Accounts: You do not need to register, log in, or create an account to access any part of this website.
• No Email Lists or Contact Forms: We do not collect email addresses, names, or contact information through automated marketing forms on this site.
• No Third-Party Tracking Analytics: We do not use Google Analytics, tracking pixels, heatmaps, or advertising trackers to monitor your browsing behavior.

Web Caching & Performance (LiteSpeed & QUIC.cloud)

This website utilizes temporary caching mechanisms to facilitate faster page loading and improve overall user experience. Caching potentially stores a duplicate copy of web pages on display on this site.

• All cache files are temporary and are never accessed by any third party, except as necessary to obtain technical support from the cache plugin vendor.
• Cache files expire on an automated schedule set by the site administrator, but may be purged manually before expiration.
• We may utilize QUIC.cloud services to process, optimize, and cache site assets temporarily to ensure fast web delivery. For further technical details, please review the QUIC.cloud Privacy Policy.

Google Drive Integration & Third-Party Services

This website connects to Google Drive to embed, display, and allow searching of public document repositories.

• When you view, search, or download documents on this site, your web browser fetches those files directly from Google Drive storage servers.
• Interaction with embedded Google Drive files or external links to Google Drive folders is governed by Google’s Privacy Policy. We do not receive, store, or monitor your personal Google account details or search queries made within the document browser.

Hosting & Server Logs

Our hosting provider (Web Hosting Canada) automatically logs standard, non-identifying technical request information required to safely deliver the website to your browser. This may include:

• Basic IP addresses (strictly used for server firewalls, security, and DDoS protection)
• Browser type and operating system
• Timestamps of page requests

These logs are managed by our web host for infrastructure security, performance monitoring, and malicious traffic prevention. We do not sell, aggregate, or cross-reference these logs to identify individual users.

Cookies

This website does not use tracking, advertising, or profiling cookies. Standard functional cookies may be set by your web browser, our hosting server, or security firewalls strictly to maintain basic site operation and security verification.

Document Accuracy, Redactions & “As Received” Disclaimer

• Official Primary Sources: All municipal documents, Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosure packages, staff reports, and official correspondence hosted on this archive are provided “as is” and “as received” from the issuing public institutions or contributing records holders.
• Third-Party Redactions: Redactions present in any records were applied directly by the originating public institutions prior to public release, pursuant to applicable privacy laws (such as the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act / MFIPPA). The North Bay Files does not alter official government disclosures.
• No Legal or Professional Advice: The contents of this website and repository are hosted strictly for public informational, educational, and civic oversight purposes, and do not constitute legal or professional advice.

Privacy Take-down & Correction Policy

While all records hosted here are official public disclosures or public domain materials, we respect personal privacy rights.

If you believe a document on this site contains sensitive personal information that was inadvertently released or requires review under applicable Ontario privacy guidelines, please notify us immediately. Upon receiving a valid request, we will review the document and, if appropriate, temporarily restrict access while verifying the disclosure status.

Limitation of Liability

The administrators and contributors of The North Bay Files shall not be held liable for any claims, losses, or damages arising from the use, interpretation, or reliance upon any documents, data, or external links published on this website. Users are encouraged to cross-reference primary source documents with official municipal authorities.

External Links

Our website contains links to external websites, government portals, and news organizations. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, availability, or content of third-party sites.