Lytton residents are unhappy about corporate advertising shot in the burned-out ruins of their community.
The Calgary-based ATCO made the commercial to mark the company’s 75th anniversary using a cover of “Walking on Sunshine.”
“They talk about walking in the sun; it’s more like walking through an open grave there right now, “Trisha Thorpe, who lives south of the city, told CTV News.
Another resident, Michelle Fiesta, told CTV that the ad was appalling, insensitive and re-traumatic.
“The choice of music, given that the city was destroyed by a heat dome, was particularly annoying,” she said.
In response to criticism, the company said on Twitter that the story in the ad was “entirely fabricated.”
“Part of this video was shot in Leaton, British Columbia, where a wildfire devastated the city in 2021. ATCO is working with the city to provide significant support for their recovery and rebuilding.”
Public Safety Secretary Mike Farnworth was asked about the advertisement in the British Columbia Parliament on Thursday. He said the decision to allow the ad was filmed was made by Lytton’s council.
“That’s not something I’d do … I find it pretty mind-boggling,” Farnworth said.
Lytton Mayor Ian Polderman said the CTV board approved the filming of the ad after the company offered a $ 50,000 donation, but that figure could now be $ 100,000.
“Opportunities for the village to raise funds that we can spend without approval from other levels of government are not so common,” Polderman told CTV. “This money will be used to rebuild Lytton for the benefit of the people.
with files from CTV Vancouver
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