Cookie Policy

Last Updated: June 30, 2026 | Effective Date: June 30, 2026

1. About Scotia Connect

Scotia Connect is a Canadian food business committed to delivering quality food products and services to our customers. We operate our website at scotia-connext.com and can be reached at [email protected]. We are dedicated to protecting the privacy and data of every visitor to our website in accordance with Canadian privacy law, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation.

2. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other internet-enabled device when you visit a website. They are widely used by website operators to make websites work more efficiently, to provide a better user experience, and to supply information to website owners about how visitors interact with their site.

Cookies are created by your web browser and stored locally on your device. When you return to the same website, the browser sends the cookie back to the website's server, allowing the site to recognize your device and remember certain information about your preferences or past interactions.

Cookies are not programs and cannot carry viruses or install malware on your device. They are simply data files that contain small amounts of information.

2.1 How Cookies Work

When you visit scotia-connext.com, our server sends a cookie to your browser. Your browser stores the cookie on your device. The next time you visit our website, your browser returns the cookie to our server. This process allows us to:

• Recognize you as a returning visitor
• Remember your preferences and settings
• Understand how you use our website
• Improve your overall experience
• Serve you relevant content and advertisements
• Analyze website traffic and performance

2.2 Types of Cookies by Duration

Cookies can be classified by how long they remain on your device:

• Session Cookies: These are temporary cookies that are deleted when you close your browser. They are used to maintain your session while you navigate through our website.
• Persistent Cookies: These cookies remain on your device for a set period of time or until you delete them manually. They are used to remember your preferences across multiple visits.

2.3 First-Party vs. Third-Party Cookies

• First-Party Cookies: These are set directly by Scotia Connect when you visit our website. We use these to provide core functionality and improve your experience.
• Third-Party Cookies: These are set by external services or platforms (such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, or social media platforms) that we use on our website. These third parties may collect information about your online activities across different websites.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

We use four main categories of cookies on our website. Below is a detailed description of each category and its purpose.

3.1 Essential Cookies

Essential cookies are strictly necessary for the operation of our website. Without these cookies, our website cannot function properly, and certain features or services you have requested cannot be provided. These cookies do not collect any personal information that could be used for marketing or tracking purposes beyond what is strictly necessary for the website to operate.

Because these cookies are essential to the operation of the website, they are exempt from consent requirements under applicable Canadian privacy law. However, we believe in full transparency and list them below for your information.

3.2 Analytics Cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. This information helps us improve the structure, content, and usability of our website. We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC, to collect this data.

The information collected includes pages visited, time spent on each page, the website you came from before visiting ours, and how you navigate through our site. This data is aggregated and does not directly identify individual users.

3.3 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies allow our website to remember choices you make (such as your language preference, region, or login information) and provide enhanced, more personalized features. These cookies may also be used to provide services you have asked for, such as watching a video or commenting on a blog post.

The information these cookies collect may be anonymized and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

3.4 Advertising and Marketing Cookies

Advertising cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and to help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. They are usually placed by advertising networks with our permission.

These cookies remember that you have visited our website and this information may be shared with other organizations, such as advertisers. We use Google Ads conversion tracking cookies for this purpose.

4. Specific Cookies We Use

The following table provides detailed information about the specific cookies used on scotia-connext.com, including their name, purpose, type, and duration.

5. Third-Party Services and Their Cookie Policies

We use several third-party services that may place cookies on your device. We have no control over the cookies placed by third parties. The following are the main third-party services we use and links to their respective cookie and privacy policies:

• Google Analytics: Google's analytics service collects data about your use of our website. Google's privacy policy can be found at https://policies.google.com/privacy.
• Google Ads: We use Google Ads to advertise our food products and services online. Information about how Google uses data in advertising can be found at https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads.
• Meta (Facebook): We may use Meta's advertising tools to reach customers on Facebook and Instagram. Meta's privacy policy is available at https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/.

6. How to Manage and Disable Cookies

You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies (other than strictly essential cookies). There are several ways you can manage cookies:

6.1 Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can set your browser to refuse all cookies, to accept only first-party cookies, or to notify you when a cookie is being set. The method for doing this varies from browser to browser. Please refer to the help documentation for your specific browser:

• Google Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647
• Mozilla Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/cookies
• Apple Safari: https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/manage-cookies
• Microsoft Edge: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/delete-cookies
• Opera: https://help.opera.com/en/latest/web-preferences/#cookies

6.2 Opt-Out Tools for Specific Services

You can opt out of specific third-party cookie services using the following tools:

• Google Analytics Opt-Out: You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available at: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
• Google Ad Personalization: You can opt out of personalized advertising from Google by visiting Google's Ad Settings page at: https://adssettings.google.com
• Facebook / Meta Ad Preferences: You can manage your Facebook advertising preferences through your Facebook account settings or by visiting: https://www.facebook.com/adpreferences
• Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC): Canadian residents can opt out of interest-based advertising from participating companies through the DAAC's opt-out tool at: https://youradchoices.ca/en/tools
• Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): You can opt out of targeted advertising from NAI member companies at: https://optout.networkadvertising.org
• Your Online Choices (Europe): For additional opt-out options for European ad networks, visit: https://www.youronlinechoices.com

6.3 Mobile Device Settings

If you access our website from a mobile device, you can manage cookies through your mobile browser settings. Additionally, for advertising-related tracking, most mobile operating systems offer settings to limit ad tracking:

• iOS (Apple): Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking
• Android (Google): Go to Settings > Google > Ads > Opt out of Ads Personalization

7. Impact of Disabling Cookies

While you have the right to disable cookies, doing so may affect the functionality and performance of our website. The impact depends on which types of cookies you choose to disable:

Please note that disabling cookies in your browser settings may affect not only our website but also other websites that rely on cookies for their core functionality. We recommend reviewing your cookie preferences carefully and only disabling cookies that you are comfortable not having.

8. Cookie Consent

In accordance with Canadian privacy laws, including PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act) and guidance from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC), we are committed to obtaining meaningful consent for the use of non-essential cookies.

When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept or decline non-essential cookies. You may also choose to accept only certain categories of cookies. Your preferences are stored in a cookie so that we can remember your choice on future visits.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by adjusting your browser settings, using the opt-out tools listed above, or by contacting us directly at [email protected].

We also reference the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as an international best-practice standard for cookie consent and data protection, even though our primary legal obligation is under Canadian law.

9. Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that signals to websites that you do not want to be tracked. Currently, there is no universally agreed-upon standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals, and our website does not currently respond to DNT browser signals. However, you can use the cookie management tools described in Section 6 of this policy to control tracking on our website.

We will continue to monitor developments in this area and update our practices accordingly.

10. Children's Privacy and Cookies

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children through cookies or any other means. If you believe that we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately at [email protected] and we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

11. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, changes in applicable law, or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date at the top of the policy.

We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about our use of cookies. Your continued use of our website after any changes to this Cookie Policy will constitute your acceptance of such changes.

If we make significant changes to this policy, we may also notify you by posting a notice on our website or by sending an email to the address you have provided to us.

12. Legal Basis and Applicable Law

Our use of cookies is governed by the following Canadian legislation and regulations:

• Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) – Canada's federal private sector privacy law, which governs the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information, including data collected through cookies.
• Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) – While primarily focused on electronic commercial messages, CASL also contains provisions related to the installation of computer programs, which may include certain types of cookies.
• Provincial Privacy Laws – Where applicable, provincial privacy legislation such as Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA BC), and Quebec's Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector (Law 25) may also apply.

We also reference the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as a global benchmark for best practices in data protection and cookie management.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are committed to addressing your inquiries promptly and transparently.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. The OPC can be reached at:

• Website: https://www.priv.gc.ca
• Phone: 1-800-282-1376
• Address: 30 Victoria Street, Gatineau, Quebec K1A 1H3, Canada