Editorial Policy

Last updated: April 2026

This document sets out the standards our writers, editors and researchers work to. We publish it because readers deserve to know how we make decisions, and because publishing the rules in advance makes it easier to follow them.

1. Originality

Every article on this Site is written from scratch by a person we pay. We do not copy or lightly rewrite content from Wikipedia, tourism boards, or other publications. We do not use generative AI to draft articles. (We do sometimes use AI tools for limited tasks like converting interview audio to text, but the resulting transcript is then used as raw material for a human writer.)

2. Sourcing

Facts are verified against at least one primary source before publication. Statistical claims are sourced from Statistics Canada, the relevant provincial agency, or a published study, and the source is cited where appropriate. We avoid relying on a single news article or another travel website for any fact that's not common knowledge.

3. First-Hand Reporting

For province pages, the writer has visited the province within the last 12 months. For city pages, the writer either lives in the city or has visited at least three times. For neighbourhood-level recommendations, someone on the team has been there within the last 18 months. When we say a restaurant is good, we've eaten there.

4. Fact-Checking

Every article is fact-checked by someone other than the writer before publication. Time-sensitive claims (prices, hours, transit schedules) are re-verified at each scheduled review.

5. Updates

Province pages are reviewed at least every six months. City pages are reviewed at least every nine months. Major events — a wildfire, a transit overhaul, a major political change — trigger an immediate review. The "Last reviewed" date at the bottom of each article is honest.

6. Corrections

If we make a factual error, we fix it as soon as we are aware. Substantive corrections are noted at the bottom of the article with the date and a brief description of what changed. Minor copy fixes (typos, formatting) are made silently. We do not silently rewrite history.

7. Editorial Independence from Advertising

True North Guide is supported by display advertising and a small number of affiliate partnerships. Advertising and affiliate revenue does not influence editorial coverage.

We do not allow advertisers to review articles before publication. We do not pull or alter coverage at the request of an advertiser. We do not accept payment for inclusion or favourable mention. If a tourism operator pays us for a sponsored article, that article is clearly labelled "Sponsored" and is not part of our editorial content; we have not yet run any sponsored content.

8. Affiliate Disclosure

Some links on the Site are affiliate links — if you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. We use affiliate links only for products and services we would recommend regardless of the affiliate relationship. Articles that contain affiliate links carry a disclosure at the top.

9. Conflicts of Interest

Writers disclose any personal or financial relationship with a place, business, or person they're writing about. Where such a conflict exists, the article is either reassigned or a note is added to the article disclosing the relationship. Family members of writers and editors are not covered favourably.

10. Free Travel and Hospitality

Our writers may accept media rates and complimentary services from tourism boards and operators where doing so is necessary to access the destination. Acceptance of free travel does not obligate the writer to favourable coverage. Articles based on hosted travel carry a disclosure at the bottom.

11. User-Generated Content

The Site does not currently host user comments. If we add comments in the future, we will moderate them for civility and accuracy.

12. Accessibility

We aim for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. We test the Site with screen readers and keyboard navigation. Reports of accessibility problems can be sent to access [at] truenorthguide.example.

13. Diversity

We try to commission writers from the regions they're writing about. We aim for our overall pool of contributors to reflect the linguistic, cultural and geographic diversity of the country. Indigenous communities are covered, where possible, with input from members of those communities.

14. Children and Privacy

We do not publish photographs of identifiable children without the consent of a parent or guardian. We do not solicit information from children under 13.

15. How to Reach the Editor

For corrections, complaints, or to discuss editorial standards: editor [at] truenorthguide.example.