Sexual Assault Services of Sask. wants answers on ‘Experience Regina’

The City of Regina’s short-lived tourism campaign may be in the rear-view mirror, but a non-profit group is still looking for answers on what it called the “harmful language” used during the brief rebrand.

On March 16, Tourism Regina announced it would rename itself Experience Regina, a name popularized in a viral video featuring a song of the same name.

But some of the slogans used in the official campaign fell flat for some, particularly slogans with sexual implications like “The city that rhymes with fun” and “Show us your Regina.”

After less than a month, the organization dropped the campaign and Tourism Regina head Tim Reid offered an apology. Mayor Sandra Masters also admitted the campaign was “tone deaf,” and said it will be reviewed.

That’s not good enough for Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan (SASS). In a statement issued this week, the non-profit’s executive director said it’s still waiting for answers about how the “harmful” campaign was approved.

“We are concerned that a municipal government and one of its agencies approved a tourism marketing campaign founded on harmful language that perpetuates a culture of harassment and abuse against women,” Kerrie Isaac said in a statement.

“Furthermore, beyond a short apology of sorts and cancellation of the brand weeks after the backlash, no one has yet to come forward and explained how the brand was ever approved in the first place. There has been zero accountability.”

According to SASS, ever since the campaign launched, victims of sexual assault have been contacting the group – along with crisis lines and other support services – “due to retraumatization from the campaign, and its messaging.”

“This campaign has shown again that the attitudes and beliefs that enable violence against women and girls are pervasive,” the organization’s statement read.

Isaac called on the city, Tourism Regina and Regina Exhibition Association Limited – the tourism group’s parent organization – to be transparent about how the campaign was developed in a public town hall meeting to allow residents to express their concerns.

“We know a third-party report is underway, but that should not stop important conversations and learning from happening now,” Isaac said. “Real harm happened because of this, and accountability is required.”

SASS sent a letter to Masters and city council expressing their concerns and calls for accountability.