'Critical' error on Windsor, Ont. billboard

A billboard on Wyandotte Street in Windsor, Ont. as part of a Canada-wide healthcare worker recruitment campaign, Dec. 19, 2021. (Rich Garton / CTV News)

If you were in the area of Wyandotte Town Centre on Sunday, you may have noticed a giant billboard with Mayor Drew Dilkens face on it.

You might have also noticed a “critical” error. The ad by Douglas Marketing Group reads, “Thank you Windsor Regional Hospital. Your care is critcal.”

The spelling mistake went unnoticed when the billboard was being created.

A city representative told CTV News, “This sign is one element of a new Canada-wide healthcare worker recruitment campaign... It's mainly an online campaign to lure healthcare workers to Windsor with incentives.”

The city says it was approached by an ad firm a few months ago and agreed to support the campaign by contributing $5,000 — hoping it would attract nurses to the region.

A broad regional partnership came together to help fund this effort, including:

• Town of Tecumseh
• Windsor Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Invest Windsor Essex
• City of Windsor
• Town of LaSalle
• Workforce Windsor Essex
• Hospice Windsor Essex
• Tourism Windsor Essex & Peele Island
• Windsor Essex County Association of Realtors
• Town of Lakeshore
• Town of Amherstburg
• Windsor Regional Hospital

"Unfortunately, this weekend some outdoor advertisements went up which included a spelling error. It has been confirmed that this was a mistake on the part of Douglas Marketing Group and they are removing the posters on Monday, at no additional cost to the above partners," said the city spokesperson.

The city approved the use of its logo and the mayor’s image being used, and also saw initial proofs, but say the proofs didn’t include the text or the spelling error. Adding, that it was an error by the ad firm.

“It’s their mistake [the ad company] on a sign, I am not involved or a part of it. It’s disappointing that we are in the middle of a pandemic, and this is what people are worried about,” said WRH President and CEO David, Musyj.

Sunday evening, Kay Douglas, President of Douglas Marketing Group responded with the following statement:

"We apologize for the focus of the message becoming the missing “I”.

The message priority of the billboard was a thank you from the City of Windsor to our nurses and healthcare workers for their commitment to our safety and our lives for the past two years, and in fact throughout our lifetime.

The billboard’s sole purpose was a partnership campaign to thank healthcare workers locally and promote a community that cares for people that aligns with a larger recruitment campaign. It is unfortunate that the focus of the message has been minimized to an “I- approach.”

The past two years have taught us the importance of caring for each other, working collaboratively and taking a humanistic approach to business. Our people are human beings and to error is human.

We do not take the impact of this “I” lightly because it is not about “I” it is about us as a community. My hope is that we re-align our focus to the needs of our healthcare workers and what is truly critical.

Windsor is a great community, to live, work and invest in.

To clarify further a critical error would be to miss the purpose of the message to thank our healthcare workers. It is our intention to put our focus on supporting Windsor Regional Hospital’s nurses, physicians, employees and foundation. In view of this, our team decided the best way to go into the holiday season with a positive, will be to donate to the Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation, toward support for our nurses."