Privacy Policy
Last updated October 26, 2026
Tri-Cities Updates (“we”, “us”) runs tricitiesupdates.ca, a local business directory and community news site for Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why, and the choices you have. We follow Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act.
The short version
- We collect only what we need to run the site — mainly your account details and anything you choose to share.
- We never sell your information.
- Your email address is never shown publicly.
- You can change your details or delete your account at any time from your account settings.
What we collect
When you create an account
- Your name, email address, an optional phone number and an optional display name.
- Your password — stored only in encrypted (hashed) form; we can't see it.
When you claim a business listing
- The details you give us to show you're connected to the business, which we use only to review your claim.
When you share something
- The posts, photos and messages you submit, along with your display name. Photos have their location data removed when they're uploaded.
- Anything you submit is reviewed before it's published, and once published it's public.
Business listings
- Our directory lists businesses using information that's publicly available (such as a business's own website or public listings) or supplied by the owner. Business owners can claim a listing to correct it, or contact us to have it removed.
Automatically
- Cookies needed to run the site, such as keeping you logged in and protecting forms from abuse.
- Google Analytics, which uses cookies to tell us how many people visit, which pages they read and roughly where they're from. Google provides us with this in aggregate; we don't use it to identify you. You can opt out with Google's opt-out browser add-on or by blocking cookies in your browser. See Google's Privacy Policy.
- Server logs, which record technical details such as your IP address, browser type and the pages requested, for security and troubleshooting.
How we use it
- To run your account and the features you use, such as claiming a listing or sharing a post.
- To review content before it's published and to keep the site free of spam and abuse.
- To send you emails about your account and the things you've done on the site, such as confirming your email address or telling you a post has been published.
- To send newsletters or occasional offers to people who've signed up for them or whose business is listed in our directory — every one has an unsubscribe link, and we honour unsubscribes promptly.
- To understand how the site is used so we can improve it.
Who we share it with
We don't sell or rent your personal information. We share it only:
- With service providers who help us run the site — our web and email hosting, and Google Analytics — and only for that purpose.
- When you use a feature designed to share it, such as replying through the site to someone's Lost & Found post (your message, and your email address if they reply, goes to that person).
- If required by law, or to protect the safety of our users or the public.
Some of these providers may store information outside Canada, where it may be accessible to authorities under local laws.
How long we keep it
- Account information is kept while your account is open and deleted when you delete your account.
- Posts you've shared may stay published after you delete your account, shown without your name — or ask us and we'll remove them.
- If you unsubscribe from our emails, we keep your email address on a “do not email” list so we don't contact you again.
- Server logs are kept for a limited time and then deleted.
Your choices and rights
- See or correct your information — most of it is on your account page, or ask us for a copy.
- Delete your account at any time from your account page.
- Stop marketing emails with the unsubscribe link in any of them.
- Withdraw consent or make a complaint by contacting us. If you're not satisfied with our answer, you can contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC or the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Children
The site isn't aimed at children. You must be at least 13 to create an account.
Security
We protect your information with reasonable safeguards, including encrypted connections and encrypted password storage. No website can be perfectly secure, so please use a strong password that you don't use anywhere else.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top, and we'll tell account holders about significant changes by email.
Contact us
Tri-Cities Updates
Box 242 - 255 Newport Dr, Port Moody, BC V3H 5H1
[email protected]