The squeaky wheel gets the grease, as the maxim goes. There is perhaps no better example of the truth of that statement than the news that the city of Hamilton has backpedalled on its decision to ban pro-life advertising in bus shelters.

Hamilton’s director of transit, Don Hull, told city councillors June 2 that it was not defensible to continue restrictions on religious and advocacy advertising, especially after a controversy broke out over the removal of pro-life ads from bus shelters this past January. The city’s action prompted a human rights complaint by the Hamilton Right to Life organization, which had arranged and paid for the ads to be put in place.

Lawyer Peter Boushy, who sits on HRTL’s executive and formulated the human rights complaint against the city in April, was happy with the latest development.

“We at Hamilton Right to Life are obviously quite pleased that the city has reversed its position. Quite frankly, I don’t think they would have reversed it but for the human rights complaint.”

Hull told local media he would have handled the pro-life bus shelter ad situation differently in hindsight. As a result, Boushy said he feels that meets the request for an apology that HRTL had submitted as part of its complaint, along with a token $1 in damages.

“The city recognized what it did was wrong. That’s excellent news. I don’t think we’d want to push it any farther … The (HRTL) board might think differently, though.” The board still has to meet to decide the status of its complaint in the light of the city’s new position.

Boushy added that even if there is a problem with the ads that were in the bus shelters in January – the Advertising Standards Council of Canada has somehow decided they are “misleading” – other ads are available to use, such as one declaring that abortion stops a beating heart at 28 days.

“I’d be interested in seeing who sits on the (ASCC) panel” and whether they have a “pro-choice” background, said Boushy in reference to the council’s decision.

In the meantime, he noted that the city’s removal of the ads turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Although missing from city bus shelters, the ads were twice published in the city’s daily newspaper – once with a commentary by HRTL president Ted Slaman – and consequently were seen by hundreds of thousands more people than would have been the case otherwise.

“In addition, we’d never have this ratified, city-wide policy allowing religious and advocacy messages,” said Boushy. “The end result is excellent.”

“We always thank the good Lord,” he added. “This is an issue that touches the hearts of a lot of people … We just thank God that groups like ours are now allowed to advertise. It’s fantastic.”

The city’s new policy also allows Bus Stop Bible Studies, a Scarborough-based Christian ministry, to use transit ads to spread its message. Hamilton had previously rejected its ad campaign as well.