Safety centre
Identity checks, Safe Chat, Safe Spots, Handshake and Trade rules, and what happens if someone does not show up.
Write the administratorPrivacy noticeThe Handshake
Step 1
A phone number is not a check
Phone added means the person typed a phone number. We do not check it yet.
Step 2
Pay in person
Pay in person at a public Safe Spot after you look at the item. Cash or Interac e-Transfer at the meetup. Paddle Hold (secure payment) is coming soon.
Step 3
Meet at a Safe Spot
The seller offers two pickup days. The buyer agrees to one. Then you meet at a public library, a recreation centre, or the RCMP detachment.
Step 4
Look, then pay
Look at the item first. Cash or Interac e-Transfer at the meetup. There is no “is this still available?” note. If you start a handshake and do not answer within two days, it counts: one warning, then buying pauses for 30 days, then you cannot buy. You can still sell. Saying no does not count. Coming soon: people who miss meetups will lose standing. That in-person miss is not counted today.
The Trade protocol
Step 1
A phone number is not a check
Phone added means the person typed a phone number. We do not check it yet.
Step 2
Compare the two things
Look at what each person is offering. If one thing is worth more, agree the difference in person. Do not send a wire.
Step 3
Pay the difference in person
Cash or Interac e-Transfer after you both look. Paddle Hold (secure payment) is coming soon.
Step 4
Meet at a Safe Spot
Bring both items. Look them over in public. A library, a recreation centre, or the RCMP detachment.
Step 5
Tap We swapped
If both items match, you both tap. A missed meetup after you are marked there still counts.
Safe Chat
Neighbours do not message about an ad. They start a handshake: two pickup days, then one agreed day, then a Safe Spot. Phone numbers, emails, and gift cards stay blocked. Cash or Interac e-Transfer is fine when you meet.
Open Safe ChatI think this was a mistake
If a listing was hidden, a chat was closed, or you were paused by accident, you can ask us to look again. One short note is enough.
Send an appealScam alerts
Sep 12
Gift cards are never payment on Paddle & Trade
If someone asks you to buy gift cards or send a wire, report them. Pay in person with cash or Interac e-Transfer after you look at the item.
Sep 14
A 75-inch TV for $75 is not a deal
Too-cheap electronics with “must sell today” language are a known pattern. Report the listing.
Sep 8
Meet at a Safe Spot, not a driveway at night
Meet at a public library, a recreation centre, or the RCMP detachment. Do not meet on a dark side street.
Sep 3
Paddle & Trade staff will not call you for your code
We never ask for your handshake code, coins, or bank password. If they do, it is not us.
Neighbours list for free
Paid ads for dealerships and companies are coming soon. Until then, post as a neighbour.
Suggested Safe Spots
Always public, usually staffed, always lit. You can also type another place on the listing — a grocery, a church lobby. Driveways at night are still a bad idea.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Spruce Grove Public Library
Public library
35 Fifth Avenue, Spruce Grove, AB T7X 2C5
Mon closed; Tue–Thu 10 am–8 pm; Fri–Sat 10 am–6 pm; Sun 12–6 pm
A public library with staff at the desk. Good for small items in the daytime.
Stony Plain Public Library
Public library
5216 50 Street, Stony Plain, AB T7Z 0N5
Phone 780-963-5440.
A public library on 50 Street. Meet in the lobby while staff are there.
Parkland RCMP detachment
RCMP detachment
91 Campsite Road, Spruce Grove, AB T7X 3Z1
Front desk Mon–Fri 8:30 am–6:30 pm. The Safe Internet Exchange Zone in the front lot is open all the time.
Parkland RCMP. The front lot is a 24/7 Safe Internet Exchange Zone. Meet there, not on a side street.
TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre
Recreation centre
221 Jennifer Heil Way, Spruce Grove, AB T7X 4J5
About 5 am–10 pm weekdays, shorter on weekends.
A busy public recreation centre. Meet in the front lobby.
Glenn Hall Centennial Arena
Recreation centre
5300 52 Street, Stony Plain, AB T7Z 1C1
Lobby hours are posted at the arena.
A public arena lobby in Stony Plain. Meet where other people are.