An unauthorized election sign that popped up overnight in a Chilliwack corn field was quickly removed by the landowners this morning.
The sign featured an image of Carin Bondar from a 2014 video parody she created of Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball. Bondar, a biologist, is one of four candidates in the Chilliwack school board byelection taking place Feb. 13.
Some of her videos on animal sex have come under fire in recent days, with people sharing her Wrecking Ball parody video as well as a compilation reel created by someone on Vimeo.
Along with the image of Bondar in underwear and a tank top, laying down, the billboard had the words: Is this your child’s idea of a school trustee?
BC Elections requires anyone advertising regarding elections to be registered as third party advertisers. Part of the requirement includes printing a name and contact phone number.
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The billboard did not include the required third party advertiser information. There is a line of text that attributes the sign to a group called the Coalition of Concerned Parents SD33, but that group is not listed in the public registry of third party advertisers.
And the sign wasn’t sanctioned by the landowners, either.
When Natalie and Norman Bedard learned of the billboard that was placed on their acreage, on Luckakuck Way, they took immediate steps to take it down.
Natalie said they made it a priority to remove the sign as soon as possible.
“We do not support smear campaigns or bullying of any kind,” she said. She isn’t sure who put the sign there and isn’t placing blame.
The sign also would have been in contravention of the City of Chilliwack’s election sign bylaw. All election signs have to be the responsibility of either a candidate or a third party advertiser, and they must include the contact information.
The right to put up election signs in Chilliwack signs also comes with a $500 security deposit, in the event the owner doesn’t remove them within 10 days of the end of the election. Breaking that bylaw comes with a penalty of at least $2000 and or jail time.
Anyone who sees an election sign that does not include an authorization statement is invited to contact Elections BC at electoral.finance@elections.bc.ca or 1-800-661-8683. They ask for those calling or emailing to take a photo and note the location of the sign if possible.
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A small election sign for Carin Bondar stands near a large anti-Bondar sign on the south side of Luckakuck Way, west of Young Road, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
