Members of the Regina, Saskatchewan public office were taken aback by a new tourism campaign debuting on March 16th leaving one member “flabbergasted” at what she had seen.
Experience Regina, previously known as Tourism Regina, announced their intended changes on March 16th, including several new slogans that many disapproved of due to what they claimed were too immature and sexually suggestive. Tim Reid, CEO of Experience Regina claimed the slogans were received as a positive change, but did not hesitate to apologize for “Show us your Regina” and “The city that rhymes with fun.”
Ward 1 Councilwoman Cheryl Stadnichuk spoke with CBC’s Alexander Quon about the new slogans and campaign ideas, “I just couldn’t believe that this was a campaign to promote the city.” She alleged that the entire city council was not aware of the changes to the campaign, and they did not approve of these slogans.
One of her biggest clashes against the changes comes from the survivors of sexual assaults as well as those who were able to survive and escape rampant domestic violence. Many of those victims she claimed contacted her office to complain. She takes the signs as nothing short of “a violation of any kind of decency.” She relented that “I’m thankful that REAL was quick to apologize for this, it is not enough.” REAL (Regina Exhibition Association Limited) is the organization behind Experience Regina.
Stadnichuk took to her official Facebook page as a city councilor to express her outrage at the entire situation. “I want to express how incredibly disappointed and appalled I am with the sexist messaging of the new Experience Regina. Council appoints the members of the REAL board and we must demand accountability.” Now, her next steps will be to get the signatures of six other members of council and to set forth the wheels of justice for those responsible, she said.
Talitha McCloskey, the co-founder of Raise Her Community also found herself outraged by the new slogan campaign. To her, these slogans made light of horrific situations and lacked any sense of timing.
“How is this appropriate for a municipal organization to put out in 2023, during women’s history month after international women’s day?”
The way she sees it, this is a sign that those behind these slogans have some serious problems. “It seems like the city thinks that vaginas are more of a tourist destination than being something that is sacred and protected.”
Sadly, the liberalism of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has clearly penetrated Canada deep into their hearts. The “Great White North” or the “Hat of America” has fallen a long way since such comedic hits as “Canadian Bacon” and “Strange Brew” came out. The days of dirty but well-intentioned jokes to get your attention are over.
With people like McCloskey in positions of authority in this liberal-led government, we are bound to have problems gripping the nation. The measure of someone being offended and how they react is a very powerful tool. As she demonstrated, not everyone can or will tolerate a dirty joke or saying, even if it gets a powerful reaction.
Regina wants to increase its tourism and awareness of the city. This campaign is reaching a global audience because of the controversy surrounding the name. It means more people will be looking to check out the city and see just how “fun” it can be. More people coming because they heard about the city in an article like this one should have been the goal from the onset of the campaign. It certainly has gotten the attention they wanted to see for their investment.
Now, they just need to embrace the controversy and start rolling out the perverted t-shirts and shot glasses. I can almost guarantee the “Regina Inspector’ t-shirts will be a big seller if they just accept the attention.
