Toronto, ON – August 29th, 2025 – SWC has filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against Pattison Outdoor Advertising (POA), Canada’s largest billboard company, for refusing service based on SWC’s advocacy for white people. The case, granted standing by the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) in January 2025, may be the first case of anti-white discrimination to receive standing in Ontario history.
In August 2023, SWC approached POA, owned by Jim Pattison, Canada’s 10th richest individual, to request a quote for billboard advertising to promote its activism. After reviewing SWC’s website, POA declined service, stating that SWC’s messaging “goes against Ad Standards” without specifying which content was objectionable. SWC argues the refusal stems from its advocacy for white people, a stance later supported by Pattison’s legal team, who argued that “an interest group dedicated to promoting the rights of white people encourages attitudes that offend the standards of public decency prevailing among a significant segment of the population.”
This case marks a historic milestone, as it appears to be the first anti-white discrimination claim to gain standing before the HRTO. Tribunal member Eva Nichols previously noted in Lisikh v. Ontario (Education), 2022 HRTO 1345, that an allegation of racial discrimination “is not one that can be or has been successfully claimed by persons who are white”. SWC’s case challenges this precedent.
Mediation in June 2025 failed to yield a settlement, the next stage is to have a hearing, the date of which is yet to be announced. SWC argues that Pattison’s clear admission of denial based on the racial component of SWC’s advocacy provides a strong case, raising a critical question: Do white people in Canada have human rights protections under the law?
About SWC
SWC advocates for the rights, interests and identity of European-Canadians by promoting viewpoint diversity in academia and the media; combating anti-white discrimination; fighting anti-white hate speech; and preserving and enhancing our cultural heritage.
Media Contact
George Hutcheson
SWC
Media@swciv.com
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