(LifeSiteNews) — A Canadian court ruled that a man’s “Charter Rights” were indeed violated by a government agency that stopped him from displaying a political billboard that was critical of the Ontario and federal governments’ COVID mandates and actions.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) announced in a recent press release that the Ontario Divisional Court ruled that the province’s Ministry of Transportation infringed upon the rights of George Katerberg.
The court decision, released July 9, stated that the Ministry’s policy prohibiting political messaging, which was placed on billboards on some northern Ontario highways, infringed on freedom of expression “protected by section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”
As a result, the court struck down the ministry policy and then sent Katerberg’s case back to the same ministry for reconsideration.
“I knew there was nothing wrong with my sign,” Katerberg said.
The court noted that the case was not about whether Katerberg’s position on COVID jabs was right or not but rather his ability to express his views unimpeded.
The Court stated that “this case is about Mr. Katerberg’s freedom to express his views and not the correctness of those views.”
According to constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury, “Mr. Katerberg is elated with today’s ruling.”
“The Court was correct to criticize the Ministry’s shifting and inconsistent justifications throughout the process,” he said.
“The decision is a welcome affirmation of the importance of political expression and that governments cannot prohibit political expression while at the same time permitting commercial advertisement.”
Katerberg is a retired HVAC technician as well as a former business owner. He rented a billboard on Highway 17 located near Thessalon, Ontario, in March 2024. The billboard showed pictures of a few public officials from the Ontario government, including Premier Doug Ford, as well as federal officials such as now-former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Dr. Theresa Tam, and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
The message on the billboard read, “They knowingly lied about safety and stopping transmission” and “Canadians demand accountability.”
Only a short while after the billboard went up, the Ministry of Transportation ordered that it be taken down, claiming the sign was somehow connected to white supremacy.
Katerberg based his sign’s design on Pink Floyd’s 1979 album The Wall, and as noted by the JCCF, “was unaware it had later been appropriated by a fringe extremist group.”
“He immediately removed the billboard, eliminated the disputed graphic, and submitted a revised version for approval,” the JCCF said.
Despite doing this, the Ministry rejected the new design, saying it “may be seen as promoting hatred or contempt” to those in the pictures.
JCCF-funded lawyers commenced the constitutional challenge on Mr. Katerberg’s behalf.
What makes the case more interesting is that after the litigation started, the Ministry backtracked and said the billboard did not promote hatred and that it would reconsider. However, instead of approving the sign, the Ministry changed its Corridor Management Manual in April 2025 to put forth a new policy that more or less banned political messaging on billboards “on bush country highway rights-of-way while continuing to permit commercial advertising and certain community messaging.”
Because of the new policy, Katerberg’s billboard was not approved for display.
The Divisional Court did not accept the Ministry’s arguments and noted that political expression on roadside billboards is a protected act by the Charter. It also stated that there is “no rational connection” between, as noted by the JCCF. “Banning political messages and the government’s stated objective of maintaining the integrity of bush country highways.”
The Court also ruled that the Ministry’s revised 2025 Highway Corridor Management Manual was to be of no force, and that the Ministry had to reconsider Katerberg’s application.
