Ontario government censored COVID billboard, violated Charter: court
George Katerberg's Highway 17 billboard demanded answers from Justin Trudeau, Doug Ford and top public health officials over their handling of COVID-19.
Ontario’s government trampled a man’s Charter rights by censoring a political billboard criticizing its COVID response, a court has ruled.
The Ontario Divisional Court ruled the Transport Ministry’s ban on political billboards along certain northern Ontario highways unjustifiably violated Charter free-expression rights, struck down the policy and ordered George Katerberg’s application reconsidered.
Justice Schreck stressed the case was not about the merits of Katerberg’s views on COVID vaccines, but his constitutional right to express them.
The Court stated, “this case is about Mr. Katerberg’s freedom to express his views and not the correctness of those views,” adding that nothing in the decision should be read as endorsing or criticizing those views.
