'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
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.