Privacy Policy

Effective date: July 29, 2026  ·  Last updated: July 29, 2026

DiSCOVER Fort McMurray ("DiSCOVER," "we," "us," or "our") is a free community directory for Fort McMurray, Alberta, operated by Melanie Galea (RE/MAX Connect). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), and Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).

This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, who we share it with, and the choices and rights you have. By using our website or app, you agree to the practices described here.

1. Information we collect

We collect personal information only when you provide it or when it is generated as you use DiSCOVER:

• List sign-up: if you join our email list, we collect your first name and email address, and your consent to receive our updates.
• Moving or real estate inquiries: if you submit a moving or real estate request, we collect the contact details and information you provide so we can respond.
• Business submissions: if you add or edit a business listing, we collect the business details you submit (business name, contact info, hours, social links, deals, and similar).
• Community submissions: if you post a yard sale, event, or lights display, we collect the details you enter, which may include an address or location.
• Usage information: anonymous, aggregated statistics about visits and taps (which pages and buttons are popular), collected without your name or email attached.
• Device and cookie information: standard technical data (such as device type and general activity) collected through cookies and similar technologies, including the Meta (Facebook) Pixel described in Section 5.

We do not ask for or knowingly collect sensitive information such as government IDs, financial account numbers, or payment card details.

2. Consent

We collect, use, and disclose personal information with your consent. When you enter your details and submit a form, you are giving us express consent to use that information for the purpose described at that point. For our email list, you provide express consent (as required by CASL) before we send you commercial electronic messages.

You may withdraw your consent at any time (see Section 8). Withdrawing consent may mean we can no longer provide certain features, such as sending you the weekly deals email.

3. How we use your information

• To operate and display the DiSCOVER directory, listings, deals, events, and community features.
• To send you the local deals and community updates you signed up for, and to let you unsubscribe.
• To respond to inquiries you send us, including moving or real estate requests.
• To review and publish business, event, yard sale, and lights submissions.
• To understand, in an anonymous and aggregated way, how DiSCOVER is used so we can improve it.

4. Email and CASL

We only send commercial emails to people who have asked to receive them. Every email we send includes a working unsubscribe link, and we honour unsubscribe requests promptly. You can also unsubscribe by emailing us at melanie@soldbymelanie.ca.

5. Cookies, analytics, and advertising

We use cookies and similar technologies to make the site work and to measure usage. We use the Meta (Facebook) Pixel, which may set cookies and share certain activity with Meta Platforms, Inc. to help us understand reach and show relevant ads. You can control cookies through your browser settings, and you can manage ad preferences through your Facebook/Meta account and through tools such as the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada.

6. Who we share information with

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as needed to run DiSCOVER, with service providers who process it on our behalf under appropriate safeguards, including:

• Hosting and infrastructure (our website host) to deliver the site and app.
• Data storage (our listings and submissions database) to store the information you submit.
• Email and automation tools to manage our list and deliver emails.
• Customer relationship tools to follow up on moving and real estate inquiries you send us.
• Analytics and advertising providers (such as Meta) as described in Section 5.

Some of these providers may store or process information outside Alberta or Canada (for example, in the United States). Where that happens, the information may be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions. We take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled with a comparable level of protection. We may also disclose information if required by law or to protect our rights and the safety of others.

7. How we protect your information

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information, including encrypted (HTTPS) connections and access controls on our systems. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to protect your information and to keep it only as long as needed for the purposes above or as required by law.

8. Your rights and choices

Under PIPEDA and Alberta PIPA, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct information that is inaccurate or out of date.
• Withdraw consent or ask us to delete your information, subject to legal or legitimate business requirements.
• Unsubscribe from our emails at any time.

To exercise any of these, email melanie@soldbymelanie.ca. We will respond within a reasonable time and as required by law.

9. Children's privacy

DiSCOVER is intended for a general audience and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, please contact us and we will remove it.

10. Third-party links

DiSCOVER links to local businesses and other websites we do not control. This policy does not apply to those sites, and we encourage you to review their privacy practices.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the "Last updated" date above and post the revised policy here. Significant changes will be made clear on this page.

12. Contact us

If you have questions, requests, or a privacy concern, contact our privacy contact:

Melanie Galea — DiSCOVER Fort McMurray (RE/MAX Connect)
Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Email: melanie@soldbymelanie.ca

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (priv.gc.ca) or the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta (oipc.ab.ca).