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Messages shouldn't be so vague

Messages shouldn't be so vague I am a regular visitor to Whitehorse and was dismayed to read the signs on your Main Street sidewalk, "You do not belong here." I found this negative message very confusing. I did not know if it was speaking to me as a to

I am a regular visitor to Whitehorse and was dismayed to read the signs on your Main Street sidewalk, “You do not belong here.”

I found this negative message very confusing.

I did not know if it was speaking to me as a tourist and was placed there by an anti-tourism local group.

What are the signs for?

I spoke to other tourists who were also upset with the signs.

Four British tourists were walking along the Millennium Trail and were also confused. They were wondering if they were to walk the trail at all.

It was a local government worker who stopped to explain to the tourist that it was not a message towards tourists, but rather a campaign run by another government department.

As tourists, we are not aware of your local government issues and do not know what to do about it.

If the local government is trying to create awareness around an issue and it’s tourism season, they should be specific in their messaging and not leave tourists wondering if they are welcome.

Teresa M. Smith

Kelowna, British Columbia