'This wasn't just a little oops': Regina city councillors blindsided by 'sexist' tourism slogans
Regina city councillors say they were blindsided and embarrassed by the recent slogans used in Experience Regina’s rebrand.
Experience Regina, formally known as Tourism Regina, officially launched its rebranded strategy last Thursday along with slogans such as ‘the city that rhymes with fun’ and ‘show us your Regina.’
Coun. Terina Nelson, who attended the rebranding event, said she was caught off guard.
“I had no idea this was coming, none whatsoever. As a councillor, I was embarrassed,” Nelson said.
Backlash over the rebrand garnered international attention with the Experience Regina campaign making headlines in both The Washington Post and BBC.
“This wasn’t just a little oops, this was huge,” Nelson said.
City council approved funding for a Tourism Regina rebranding exercise during its budget deliberations in December, according to coun. Andrew Stevens.
However, councillors said they were not briefed beforehand on the campaign slogans.
“I guarantee you, if we would have had a snap shot of some of this branding it would have ended right there,” Stevens said.
Experience Regina is a city-funded, independent municipal corporation that reports to a board of directors and ultimately to city council.
City of Regina Administration does not have oversight or authority over the operations of Experience Regina, according to a city spokesperson.
Regina Exhibition Association Ltd. (REAL) took over tourism responsibilities from Economic Development Regina last year.
At the time, Regina Mayor Sandra Masters said REAL has a responsibility to the entire city and council will hold the group accountable.
However, Coun. Cheryl Stadnichuk questions why city council was not aware of the rebranded slogans. She said a serious meeting is needed between council and Experience Regina in order to hold the necessary people accountable.
“We need some accountability on who was involved, how much did they know, were these slogans shared with the board members of REAL, and who, if anyone, on council knew,” Stadnichuk said.
“Especially when there’s a lot of money being spent on a rebranding exercise, I think you want to make sure that there’s not going to be any problems with the messaging that’s along with that campaign.”
Get the CTV News app for local breaking news alerts and top stories
Stadnichuk said councillors are “bearing the brunt of all the public outrage” as a result of the “sexist” slogans. She has received messages from both men and women who are upset.
“We have a problem with sexual violence in our city, so to have slogans that talk about ‘show us your Regina’ or ‘the city that rhymes with fun' is normalizing that women’s bodies are for sexual pleasure and I just think that’s really, really objectionable,” Stadnichuk said.
Saskatchewan has some of the highest rates of sexual violence in the country. Stadnichuk said police stats show the number of reported sexual assaults increased by roughly 16 per cent in Regina last year.
While Stadnichuk and Nelson are not sure if the Experience Regina rebrand can be salvaged, Stevens believes this is the city’s chance to “double down” on its commitment to address sexual violence against women.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.