Metroland Media Group Ltd. Commenting Guidelines

Metroland Media Group Ltd. respects its readers and values robust and open debate. We want the comments section to be thoughtful and constructive. We encourage readers to comment on stories and rely on them to maintain a respectful and civil discussion.

Comments that gratuitously attack or demean individuals or organizations are not acceptable. Comments flagged by readers will be reviewed by a moderator. Errors of fact can be reported directly to the Editor via the ‘Report an Error’ tab at the top of each story page.

The following are general principles regarding comments on Metroland Media Group Ltd. websites. For our full website Terms of Use including our legal guidelines for user postings and comments on Metroland Media Group Ltd. websites, click here.

• Harassing and stalking people or personal attacks of any kind are not tolerated. Users who violate this guideline may be banned.
• Show respect for the beliefs of others by treating them as you would want them to treat you.
• Racist, sexist, homophobic and otherwise discriminatory and offensive language will not be tolerated.
• Swearing, name-calling, and otherwise abusive language is unacceptable.
• Be relevant. Comments unrelated to the topic being discussed may be deleted.
• Don’t rush to judgment. Comments that are defamatory or otherwise falsely harmful to the reputation of others are not acceptable. Don't make statements of fact you can't back up in a court of law.
• There is zero tolerance for pornography, sexually explicit content and depictions of graphic or gratuitous violence. We will report child exploitation to the police.
• Inciting anyone to commit a crime may itself be a crime. Don’t do it.
• Refrain from commenting about criminal cases before the courts. Canadian judges have little tolerance for it, as do we.
• Do not infringe anyone's intellectual property, including by posting content you've copied from elsewhere.
• Do not use the comment section to advertise products or services. Buy an ad!
• Do not impersonate others. Do not use the personal information or image of another person without their consent.
• Finally, don’t flag comments just because you disagree with them; flag them because they violate these principles. Users who abuse this privilege may be banned.

We reserve the right to remove comments or any other content we deem unacceptable in our sole discretion, including removing user names and profile pictures. For policies respecting your use of Metroland Media Group Ltd. websites, please see Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.