1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that a website stores in your browser when you visit. They persist between page navigations and browser sessions until they expire or are deleted. localStorage is a browser API that stores key-value pairs without an expiry date unless the code that wrote them removes them or sets an explicit expiry in a companion entry. Both mechanisms are used by NiagaraForest and are described in full below.
Third-party cookies are cookies set by domains other than the one you are visiting. NiagaraForest does not set advertising cookies of any kind. When you accept analytics cookies, Google Analytics sets its own cookies under the *.google.com and *.gstatic.com domains. These are documented in the inventory below.
2. Cookie Categories
Strictly necessary (always active): These cookies are required for the site to function correctly. They enable the age gate to remember your confirmation and the cookie banner to remember your choice. Without these, the age gate and consent banner would re-appear on every page navigation. You cannot opt out of strictly necessary cookies, but you can delete them through your browser settings at any time.
Analytics (optional — requires your consent): If you select “Accept All,” Google Analytics 4 cookies are activated. These measure how visitors interact with pages — which pages are viewed, how long sessions last, and which browser and device type is in use. All data is anonymised before transmission; IP addresses are truncated. This category is off by default and activated only with your explicit consent.
Advertising (not used): NiagaraForest does not use advertising cookies, remarketing pixels, or any mechanism designed to target you with advertisements based on your browsing behaviour. The Google Consent Mode v2 block on this site keeps ad_storage, ad_personalization, and ad_user_data permanently set to denied, regardless of your analytics consent choice.
3. Full Cookie Inventory
| Name | Type | Category | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
kn_age_ok |
Cookie + localStorage | Strictly necessary | Stores “1” after you confirm you are 18+. Prevents the age gate from re-appearing on every page. | 180 days |
kn_age_ok_exp |
localStorage only | Strictly necessary | Stores the epoch-millisecond expiry timestamp of kn_age_ok so the localStorage entry can self-expire. |
180 days |
kn_consent_v2 |
Cookie + localStorage | Strictly necessary | Stores your cookie preference as a small JSON object {"a":bool,"ads":bool,"v":1}. Prevents the cookie banner from re-appearing on every page. |
180 days |
kn_consent_v2_exp |
localStorage only | Strictly necessary | Epoch-millisecond expiry timestamp for kn_consent_v2. |
180 days |
_ga |
Cookie (Google) | Analytics (optional) | Google Analytics 4 client identifier. Used to distinguish unique visitors. Set only when analytics consent is granted. | 2 years |
_ga_XXXXXXXXXX |
Cookie (Google) | Analytics (optional) | Google Analytics 4 session state and measurement ID cookie. Maintains session data. Set only when analytics consent is granted. | 2 years |
_gid |
Cookie (Google) | Analytics (optional) | Google Analytics session-level cookie. Expires after 24 hours. | 24 hours |
4. localStorage Mirrors
The two strictly-necessary cookies (kn_age_ok and kn_consent_v2) are also written to localStorage under the same key names, accompanied by companion _exp keys that store the epoch-millisecond expiry timestamp. This dual-write approach ensures persistence when NiagaraForest is accessed via a file:// URL during quality assurance or offline preview, where the Chromium cookie model treats each file-system path as a separate origin and cookies written to one path are not readable from another.
The localStorage entries store identical values to the cookies — a single-bit age flag (“1”) and a small JSON preference object — and are read with expiry-checking logic that mirrors what cookies provide natively. If the stored expiry has passed, the entry is deleted at the next read. No analytics data is stored in localStorage.
5. Reopen Cookie Controls
You can review and change your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the 🍪 Cookies pill that appears in the lower-left corner after you have made an initial choice. Selecting “Essential Only” will stop Google Analytics from collecting data on subsequent page loads. To clear all stored preferences and start fresh, delete your browser cookies and localStorage for this domain (see §6 below).
6. Managing Cookies in Your Browser
Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data → See all site data and permissions. Search for the domain and click “Delete.”
Mozilla Firefox: Preferences → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data → Manage Data. Search for the domain and click “Remove Selected.”
Apple Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data. Search for the domain and click “Remove.”
Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies and site data → See all cookies and site data. Search and delete.
Note that clearing all cookies for a domain will also clear your age confirmation, meaning the age gate will re-appear on your next visit. This is by design — the gate is a lightweight self-declaration that takes a single click to re-confirm.
7. Third-Party Cookies are Off by Default
NiagaraForest implements Google Consent Mode v2 with all advertising-related consent signals (ad_storage, ad_personalization, ad_user_data) permanently set to denied. This means that even if you accept analytics cookies, Google’s advertising measurement systems are blocked from setting cookies or collecting data on this site. The only third-party cookies that may be activated are the three Google Analytics entries listed in §3, and only when you select “Accept All.”
8. Changes to This Policy
If we add new cookie categories or change existing entries, we will update this policy with a new “Last updated” date and increment the consent version number in kn_consent_v2. The consent banner will re-appear automatically to request fresh consent whenever the version number changes. We will not change the purpose of any existing strictly-necessary cookie without first updating this document and seeking fresh consent.
9. Contact
Questions about our use of cookies or localStorage:
NiagaraForest, 847 King St E, Hamilton, ON L8P 2X8, Canada
Email: [email protected]