# Source note — Ontario billboard ban struck down: George Katerberg’s COVID-accountability sign wins a Charter source-check

Captured: 2026-08-23

User supplied a screenshot of a Facebook post by Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms linking to:

https://www.jccf.ca/major-victory-for-free-expression-as-court-strikes-down-ontario-ministry-of-transportations-political-billboard-ban/

## Primary records preserved

- Screenshot of the Facebook post.
- JCCF article capture.
- Court reasons PDF/text: `Katerberg v. Ontario (Ministry of Transportation), 2026 ONSC 3991`.
- April 2025 Highway Corridor Management Manual PDF/text.
- Billboard image from JCCF.

## Core verification

The court reasons say George Katerberg placed a sign on Highway 17 near Thessalon, Ontario, a “bush country highway.” The Ministry refused permission after several stated rationales and ultimately relied on a policy allowing only goods/services or authorized local/community messages on bush-country highway right-of-way billboards.

The Divisional Court found the policy infringed Charter s. 2(b), was not justified under s. 1, and was of no force or effect. The court also emphasized the case was about Katerberg's freedom to express his views, not whether his COVID-vaccine views were correct.