The Humanist Association of Ottawa and the Freethought Association of Canada are co-sponsoring the Atheist bus ad campaign in Ottawa. In early February, we were notified by the company that handles bus advertising for OC Transpo that our ad had been rejected by OC Transpo staff. On February 11, Alex Cullen, Ottawa city councilor and chair of the Ottawa Transit Committee, brought a motion before the committee to have the rejection overturned. The vote was a tie, so the motion failed and the rejection was upheld. (The picture above is of a bus in Toronto, where the ads were approved.)
On February 25, at the full City Council meeting, Alex Cullen tabled a motion to overturn the rejection and permit the ad. This motion is to be discussed and voted upon at the next council meeting, on 11 March.
If you would like to support the right to freedom of speech, and the idea that freedom of religion must include and acknowledge the freedom to have no religion at all, please sign the petition below.
Some other ways you can help:
- come to the council meeting at City Hall on Wednesday, 11 March (more information here)
- write a letter to your city councilor (email addresses here and suggestions for letters here)
- sign the petition to be presented to members of the City Council in advance of the 11 March meeting
- donate to the Canada wide atheist bus campaign (tax deductible)
- or, direct your donation specifically to the Ottawa atheist bus campaign (not tax deductible)
- join the FaceBook group – tell your friends
