Ottawa ain’t Flint

Radio station ads in the nation’s capital spark backlash

A pair of Ottawa radio stations plastered the capital with posters and created a website to remind locals to look on the bright side of the current economic crisis. Their simple message: This Ain’t Flint. Unfortunately, the disparaging reference to the famously downtrodden American city isn’t having the desired warming effect. Ottawa Tourism is disappointed, a local blogger calls it “tacky,” pointless and insensitive to those in Ottawa who have lost their jobs, and the mayor’s office in Flint is altogether unimpressed. “Do we appreciate being made fun of like this? Of course not,” says the mayor’s spokesman. “But … we’ve got more important issues to work on.”

Ottawa Citizen

tags:Canada