Ontario backs down, admits that roadside billboard does not promote hatred

SUDBURY, ON: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms is pleased that the Ontario Ministry of Transportation has reversed its decision to ban a proposed roadside billboard that criticized politicians and health officials for Covid vaccine mandates.

George Katerberg is a retired HVAC technician and business owner. After the era of Covid lockdowns, he decided to close his business, sell his home and move to Thessalon, Ontario, along the shores of Lake Huron.

On March 1, 2024, Mr. Katerberg rented a billboard along Highway 17 near Thessalon.

The billboard displayed the faces of various Government of Canada officials, including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Deputy Prime Minister, the leader of the federal NDP party, the Ontario Premier, the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, and the former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

The sign read, “They knowingly lied about safety and stopping [transmission],” and “Canadians demand accountability.” The sign also featured an image of two hammers behind a Canadian flag. Mr. Katerberg said the design was inspired by a symbol from the 1979 Pink Floyd album, The Wall, which addressed government overreach.