Watchdog slams ad criticizing COVID border restrictions for comparing travellers to hostages
Florida man says he received death threats after campaign, but says he's pro-vaccine
Canada's advertising watchdog has slammed a TV commercial paid for by a Florida man with a home on Vancouver Island for suggesting Canadians were held "hostage" by COVID-19-related restrictions that temporarily shut down the U.S. border.
In a recently published decision, Ad Standards Canada's complaints council said the ad — paid for by John Adams and friends — was "inaccurate, deceptive and misleading."
"Equating Canadians as hostages created a false general impression about the nature of the imposed restrictions," said the decision, which was posted on the council's website.
"The inaccuracy and images misled Canadians about the overall effectiveness of the vaccines as well as the travel restrictions put into place to minimize the spread of COVID-19 during a pandemic event."
'Free Your Hostages'
Adams owns a property in Barkley Sound on the west side of Vancouver Island, where he used to spend up to five months each year — prior to the pandemic.
The retired magazine publisher launched his ad campaign on both sides of the border last spring before the loosening of restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers on the Canadian side, which was announced on June 21, 2021.
The U.S. didn't follow suit until early November, when fully vaccinated travellers were allowed to cross the border for non-essential purposes.
The ads included the statements "Free Your Hostages" and "saying the fully vaccinated can transmit COVID without showing us actual cases is not science or fact — it's fear."
Reached at his home in Florida, Adams said he doesn't have a problem with the council's findings, but points out that he went through a process with an agency that works with broadcasters to clear advertisements for Canadian television.
"I was kind of impressed, because I'd always heard that there was a lot of censorship about Canadian media, but when I went through this process with all these ads, I didn't find that to be the case," Adams said.
'It is an opinion'
Adams said his campaign began by advocating for the rights of foreign nationals who own property in Canada, but soon moved into a plea to reunite families separated by the rules.
He only found out about the complaints this week. He said he was told six viewers had complained.
"I don't really have a problem with it. It again is an opinion. It's a freedom of speech thing, and I have no problem with freedom of speech at all," he told the CBC.
"I just think it would have been better to have been addressed in the ad going forward rather than after the fact. Because it is an opinion."
Adams raised nearly $50,000 US to pay for the ads through a GoFundMe campaign.
According to the fundraising page, 250 spots were broadcast on three "major" TV networks in Canada, while the ads also ran in select markets near the U.S. border.
The ads featured Adams's contact number. The 70-year-old said he has received two death threats — one which he believes came from Michigan and another he suspects came from Vancouver Island.
"There was a lot of references to me owning property on the Island," Adams said. "It was a little bit scary there for a little bit, but I just kind of took it with a grain of salt."
'Infiltrated' by anti-vaxxers
Adams says the irony of the situation has been that because of the nature of his campaign, some people think he is anti-vaccine. He says nothing could be further from the truth.
He said he doesn't agree with the way Florida has handled the pandemic, and thinks that Canada has done a much better job.
"I believe totally in getting vaccinated, safety, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. The group of people that I was in got infiltrated a fair amount by the anti-vaxxer movement, and that made me very uncomfortable," he said.
"The anti-vaxxers tend to latch onto any kind of movement that they can latch onto."
Adams said he was able to return to Canada and his property last August.
"It's our dream place," he said. "It was wonderful to get back, but it was weird for sure."
Adams said he also posted a video entitled Thank You in July after Canada lifted restrictions on the northern border.
"Prime Minister Trudeau, thank you for opening the border so we can get back to our family home in Canada. You will always be remembered as the leader who gave us our lives back," the ad says.
"This ad is sponsored by John Adams and friends."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
