At Central Alberta Times, we use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience, personalize content, analyze website traffic, and support essential site features such as login and membership access.

This notice explains what cookies are, what types we use, why we use them, and how they help us deliver a smoother, more personalized experience for you.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer, tablet, or mobile device when you visit a website.
They help the website remember your actions and preferences over time — such as login details, selected categories, and newsletter access — so you don’t have to re-enter information every time you visit.

Cookies also allow us to understand how visitors use our website so we can continuously improve content, design, and performance.

2. Why We Use Cookies

We use cookies to make our website function properly, provide you with a seamless experience, and collect insights that help us improve. Here’s how cookies help us serve you better:

• Essential Functionality:
  These cookies allow core website features like account login, secure payment processing, and access to members-only newsletters to work correctly. Without them, key sections of the website would not function.

• Performance and Analytics:
  These cookies help us understand how users interact with the site — such as which articles are read most often, how long visitors stay on each page, and what type of device or browser is used.
  The insights we gain help us make the site faster, easier to navigate, and more relevant to readers.

• Personalization and Preferences:
  These cookies remember your preferences, like whether you are logged in, your selected language or region, and what content categories you engage with most.
  This allows us to tailor the website and newsletter experience specifically to your interests.

• Advertising and Promotions:
  Occasionally, we may use cookies to measure the performance of sponsored content, partner promotions, or advertisement placements.
  These cookies do not store personal information directly but help us show content that’s more relevant to you and your interests.

3. Third-Party Cookies

In some cases, we use cookies provided by trusted third-party partners to enhance our services. Examples include:

• Analytics Services (like Google Analytics): To track anonymous usage data, measure traffic sources, and identify which areas of the site perform best.

• Payment Gateways: To securely process membership and advertising payments while ensuring your transactions are safe.

• Email or Marketing Tools: To track when newsletters are opened or links are clicked, helping us improve communication with subscribers.

These third-party providers are carefully selected and comply with data protection and privacy standards.

4. Your Consent

By continuing to browse and use our website, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this notice. When you first visit our website, a small banner or pop-up message will appear, notifying you that cookies are in use.
You can choose to accept or decline cookies through this banner. Please note that declining certain types of cookies may affect how some parts of the site function.

5. Data Security

All information collected through cookies is handled securely and is never used to identify you personally. We do not sell or share your data with unauthorized third parties. Cookies help us maintain a secure, user-friendly environment for all visitors.

6. Updates to This Cookie Notice

We may occasionally update this notice to reflect changes in our cookie practices or website functionality.
Any updates will be published on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.

7. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about our cookie use or privacy practices, please contact us at:
📧 centralalbertatimes@gmail.com