By Ramon Tomey
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Officials in the city of St. Catharine’s in Ontario pressured the removal of privately funded billboards warning against gender transitions for minors after complaints from Pride Niagara, despite being on private property.
- The ads were deemed “harmful” by activists, with the mayor intervening despite no legal authority over private property.
- Studies show 80 percent of kids outgrow dysphoria naturally, while medical interventions (blockers, hormones, surgery) increase suicide, infertility, and chronic illness risks.
- Similar removals in Hamilton prompted ARPA Canada – which commissioned the billboards – to pursue legal action, arguing suppression of dissent violates constitutional freedoms and enables ideological coercion.
- The clash reflects debates over parental rights, medical ethics and free speech, with parallels to past medical scandals (lobotomies, opioids). Legal outcomes may set precedents for silencing dissent.
In a move that has reignited debates over free speech and child welfare, the city of St. Catharines in Canada’s Ontario province pressured the removal of billboards warning against gender transition procedures for minors after backlash from LGBT activists.
The billboards, placed by the Christian advocacy group Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada, were taken down just two days into their planned 12-week run. The removal followed intervention by St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe, who acted after complaints from LGBT organization Pride Niagara.
The ads – which read “Let kids be. Stop medical transitions for minors” – were part of a national campaign funded entirely by local donations. ARPA Canada argues that irreversible medical interventions on minors – including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries – pose severe lifelong risks, citing growing concern from medical professionals and parents.
Despite being displayed on private property, the billboards were removed after Pride Niagara labeled them “transphobic” and “harmful,” prompting Siscoe to contact the advertising company. Enzo De Divitiis, chairperson of the LGBT group, defended the removal. He claimed that the billboards by ARPA Canada fostered a “hostile environment” for transgender individuals. (Related: Canada rapidly criminalizing anyone who opposes transgenderism.)
ARPA Canada Executive Director Mike Schouten condemned the removal as “political censorship,” emphasizing that the city had no jurisdiction over the privately owned billboard space. “Instead of shutting down dialogue, we should be engaging with the evidence and listening to those who have been harmed by these interventions,” he said.
The incident follows a similar controversy in the city of Hamilton, also in Ontario. Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath ordered identical billboards from ARPA removed from city property. The Christian group is now pursuing legal action against Hamilton, arguing that suppressing dissenting viewpoints violates constitutional freedoms.