Karlene Gibson, left, holds a sign during a rally at City Hall in Regina on April 5, 2023. An independent review into how Regina's tourism agency handled a failed re-brand says a junior employee had approved sexualized slogans before senior management could officially review them. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michael Bell
REGINA – An independent review into how Regina’s tourism agency handled a failed rebrand says a junior employee approved sexualized slogans before senior management could vet them.
It says the executive and board of Regina Exhibition Association Limited, which is responsible for Tourism Regina, did not endorse the slogans before they were made public in March.
Public backlash ensued, as the slogans seemed to make lewd reference to a body part rhyming with the city’s name, using phrases such as “show us your Regina” and “the city that rhymes with fun.”
The review says the association had been in a state of disorganization, as it was doing the rebrand alongside other high-profile projects.
It says there was limited oversight in the process and that the organization needs to beef up its policies to ensure such failures don’t happen again.
The organization’s CEO, Tim Reid, is to not be fired, as the review says such action would be costly.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 13, 2023.
