Witness The Billboard Squad: At War with Toronto’s ‘Corporate Garbage’
A wistful mischief-maker rides the highs and lows of grassroots activism to bring down Toronto’s illegal billboards. Dave Meslin, a 47-year-old Canadian activist, is known for his campaigns to defend public space from commercial interests. For 15 years, he has been lobbying Toronto to remove illegal billboards from neighbourhoods across the city. He assembles a team of volunteers, including his 11-year-old niece, to gather intelligence and strategise on how to bring down the billboards. They are prepared to do whatever it takes to reclaim a local green space. As the Billboard Squad clashes with power, bureaucracy and inertia, Dave grapples with the emotional complexities of activism.
An inspiring documentary series that brings world issues into focus through compelling human stories.
Primary Title
- Witness
Episode Title
- The Billboard Squad: At War with Toronto’s ‘Corporate Garbage’
Date Broadcast
- Thursday 26 May 2022
Start Time
- 08 : 00
Finish Time
- 09 : 00
Duration
- 60:00
Channel
- Al Jazeera English
Broadcaster
- Al Jazeera Media Network
Programme Description
- An inspiring documentary series that brings world issues into focus through compelling human stories.
Episode Description
- A wistful mischief-maker rides the highs and lows of grassroots activism to bring down Toronto’s illegal billboards. Dave Meslin, a 47-year-old Canadian activist, is known for his campaigns to defend public space from commercial interests. For 15 years, he has been lobbying Toronto to remove illegal billboards from neighbourhoods across the city. He assembles a team of volunteers, including his 11-year-old niece, to gather intelligence and strategise on how to bring down the billboards. They are prepared to do whatever it takes to reclaim a local green space. As the Billboard Squad clashes with power, bureaucracy and inertia, Dave grapples with the emotional complexities of activism.
Classification
- Not Classified
Owning Collection
- Chapman Archive
Broadcast Platform
- Television
Languages
- English
Captions
Live Broadcast
- No
Rights Statement
- Made for the University of Auckland's educational use as permitted by the Screenrights Licensing Agreement.
Contributors
- Cat Mills (Producer)
- Felicity Justrabo (Producer)
- Sorauren Pictures (Production Unit)
- Hot Docs (Canadian International Documentary Festival) (Associate)