Privacy Policy
Effective date: October 15, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how Pines & Firs (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses and protects personal information when you visit pinesandfirs.com. Pines & Firs is operated by Kris Reddy in Milton, Ontario, Canada. We follow the principles of Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).
Information we collect
Information you give us
- Contact form: your name, email address and message, used only to reply to you.
- Comments: if you comment on a post, we collect your name, email address, website (optional) and comment. Your email address is never shown publicly.
- Email newsletter: if you subscribe, we collect your email address (and first name, if you provide it) to send you gardening updates. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in every email.
Information collected automatically
- Server and security logs: like most websites, our hosting provider records basic technical data such as IP address, browser type and pages visited, to keep the site secure and working.
- Cookies: small files stored in your browser. See “Cookies” below.
How we use your information
We use personal information only to:
- reply to your messages and comments
- send newsletters you’ve signed up for
- understand which guides are useful so we can improve the site
- keep the site secure and prevent spam
We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information.
Cookies
We use cookies for these purposes:
- Essential cookies: remember comment details and keep the site working properly.
- Analytics cookies: help us understand how visitors use the site (see “Analytics”).
- Affiliate cookies: when you click an affiliate link, the retailer may set a cookie to credit us for a purchase (see “Affiliate links”).
- Advertising cookies: may be used by ad partners to show relevant ads (see “Advertising”).
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Some parts of the site may not work properly without them.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics to see how many people visit, which pages they read and how they found us. Google Analytics collects information such as pages visited, time on site, approximate location (city level) and device type. This information is reported to us in aggregate, and we don’t use it to identify you. You can opt out using Google’s Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
Affiliate links
Pines & Firs participates in affiliate programs, including the Amazon.ca Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. When you click an affiliate link, the retailer may use cookies to track the purchase so we can earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Retailers handle any purchase you make under their own privacy policies.
Advertising
We may show ads served by third-party advertising companies such as Google. These companies may use cookies to show ads based on your visits to this and other websites. You can manage personalised advertising through Google’s Ad Settings.
Third-party services and embedded content
Our site may include content from other websites, such as embedded videos or maps. Embedded content behaves the same way as if you had visited the other website directly, and that website may collect data about you under its own privacy policy.
Where your information is stored
Our website, hosting and some service providers (such as Google) may store or process information on servers outside Canada, including in the United States. When that happens, your information may be subject to the laws of that country.
How long we keep information
- Contact messages: kept only as long as needed to respond, and generally deleted within 12 months.
- Comments: kept with the post unless you ask us to remove them.
- Newsletter subscriptions: kept until you unsubscribe.
Your rights
Under Canadian privacy law, you can:
- ask what personal information we hold about you
- ask us to correct inaccurate information
- withdraw your consent, for example by unsubscribing or asking us to delete your comment or messages
To make a request, use our Contact page. We’ll respond within 30 days. If you’re not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
Children’s privacy
Pines & Firs is intended for adults. We don’t knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, please contact us and we’ll delete it.
Security
We use reasonable measures, including a secure (HTTPS) connection and up-to-date software, to protect your information. No website can guarantee complete security, but we take care to protect what you share with us.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the site grows, for example if we add new tools or services. Changes will be posted on this page with a new effective date.
Contact us
Questions about this Privacy Policy? Reach us through our Contact page.
Pines & Firs, operated by Kris Reddy, Milton, Ontario, Canada