Editorial standards

Sources come first

Articles and trip guides are written from primary and official sources wherever they exist: municipalities and counties, Ontario Parks, Parks Canada, Conservation Authorities, First Nations, museums, and the organisers of events. Every article lists the sources it relies on at the end of the page, with links, so any claim can be checked.

Each place, listing and guide records the source we used and the date we last checked it. Seasonal details such as hours, access and prices change, and pages say so.

Checked before it is published

Facts that a visitor will act on are checked against their source before publication: dates, locations, distances, seasonal access, booking requirements and safety information. We use AI tools to help research and draft; every piece is checked against the sources it cites before publication, and no article is published without them. An editor reviews published pieces and corrects errors promptly.

Corrections

If something is wrong, we want to know. Send a correction with the page and what needs changing. We fix factual errors promptly, update the page date, and note substantive corrections on the page. Operators can correct their own listing by claiming it.

Real photographs only

Every photograph on the site is a real photograph of a real place, credited to its photographer with its licence on our photography credits page. We never publish AI-generated imagery. Where a business has not yet supplied its own photo, we show a credited photo of its area, clearly labelled “Area photo”, so it is never mistaken for the business itself.

Indigenous history and places

Central Ontario is the homeland of Anishinaabe peoples, including the Williams Treaties First Nations and the Robinson-Huron Treaty First Nations, and the historic homeland of the Wendat. We write about Indigenous history, treaties and places from the Nations’ own published sources and from recognised institutions, avoid speaking on behalf of any community, and welcome guidance and corrections from First Nations and Métis people. Read our introduction to Indigenous Central Ontario.

Listings and events

Business listings come from the businesses themselves, public municipal directories and our partner directory, ShopLocal. A listing marked as confirmed by the operator has been claimed and checked by the business. Event details come from organisers and public ticketing pages; confirm with the organiser before travelling. Accessibility features are declared by operators unless marked as verified; see our accessibility page.

Independence and sponsorship

CentralOntario.ca is an independent publication, not an official tourism authority. Sponsored placements are always labelled, and payment never buys editorial coverage, a favourable description or a change to factual content. Being listed does not imply endorsement.

Open to AI assistants, with attribution

So that AI assistants give travellers accurate, current local information, our published content is available in machine-readable form through llms.txt. We ask that anyone citing our work names CentralOntario.ca and links to the original page.

Questions about these standards? Contact the editor. See also About the hub and For tourism & community partners.