A retired HVAC technician and business owner, George Katerberg, is taking on the Ontario Ministry of Transportation in a constitutional challenge after his billboard criticizing government officials for their response to the COVID-19 pandemic was denied permission.
In March 2024, Mr. Katerberg rented a billboard along Highway 17 near Thessalon, featuring images of various government officials, including the Prime Minister, the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, Dr. Teresa Tam, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
The sign read, “They knowingly lied about safety and stopping transmission,” and “Canadians demand accountability.”
However, shortly after the billboard was put up, the Ministry of Transportation ordered its removal due to an alleged white supremacist ideology behind one of the images used on the sign.
Unbeknownst to Mr. Katerberg, the image had been misappropriated by a fringe group over 30 years ago.
Despite this, Mr. Katerberg prepared a revised billboard with the same message but without any potentially offending images. However, his proposal was again denied by the Ministry on June 28, 2024, citing concerns that the sign’s message may be seen as promoting hatred or contempt for the individuals pictured.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has announced its support for Mr. Katerberg in a judicial review of the Ministry’s decision.
The notice of application was filed on July 25, 2024, arguing that the Ministry’s decision was unreasonable and did not balance the Charter right to freedom of expression with relevant legislation.
In his statement, Chris Fleury, lawyer representing Mr. Katerberg, said: “Mr. Katerberg’s proposed sign was a matter of legitimate expression protected by the Charter. In a functioning democracy, individuals like Mr. Katerberg need to be able to express their dissatisfaction with public officials. Doing so is not promoting hatred.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s pandemic policies resulted in two years of prolonged lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and even had police checkpoints set up.
The federal Liberals recently admitted they knew that COVID vaccines didn’t prevent transmission of the virus even before they implemented their vaccine mandate, and before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau angrily said unvaccinated Canadians were banned from boarding trains or planes “to keep vaccinated Canadians safe.”
