The fallout from the Experience Regina rebrand continued after a protest at City Hall called for further action.
Bernadette Wagner, a spokesperson for the group, said CEO and President of REAL Tim Reid should be removed from “anything to do with the city of Regina”.
Reid has apologized for the “negative impact” the slogans have had on the city, but Wagner said the apology isn’t enough.
“Many survivors of sexual assault, including me, have been triggered and re-traumatized by this horrid campaign,” Wagner said.
“Nor am I the only one who’s absolutely tired of this, tired of the bad jokes, tired of sexual harassment, tired of responding to this misogyny, and especially when it comes from our own tourism department. It is time for the city to take action.”
Mayor Sandra Masters said that the city and REAL’s Board of Directors are working to find a way forward.
“If additional training and education and those types of things are needed, then absolute,” she said. “If additional community involvement and focus groups are needed, then I think that’s fair too, but we will wait to what the board of directors reports into council.”
REAL’s Board of Directors is conducting an internal review to determine what happened with the rebrand. They are expected to provide council with a report at a future city council meeting.
Masters said that figuring out how it happened is one way to rebuild trust with residents.
“When trust has been broken, I think you want to understand how that happened; you want to understand a pathway forward in and all of the ways that can be travelled.”
“I think that in terms of accountability, an apology has been issued, and we don’t get a lot of folks in publicly apologizing, taking responsibility and trying to figure out a way forward in a way that appeals to the majority of people,” she continued. “I think we are going to wait and see what the work that is being undertaken right now, where we arrive at with that.”
When asked if the city should stick with the Experience Regina brand, the Mayor said she beleives the city should move forward with the brand.
with files from Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press
