A street banner project to mark the 150th anniversary of the formation of Canada caused fury after it featured three Scottish brothers convicted of a notorious murder.
A series of banners were put up in Guelph, Ontario, marking one historic event for each year since 1867.
The poster for 1986 featured the faces of Philip, David and Colin Wood, three brothers who were convicted that year of murdering 21-year-old Karen Thomson. They killed their victim by smashing her skull and throwing her into Lake Ontario before she could give evidence against Colin Wood in a court case.
The Wood brothers, who emigrated from Scotland in 1965, were dubbed the “Canadian Krays”. They were deported to the UK after their release.
The banner was put up by the Downtown Guelph Business Association as part of the anniversary celebrations.
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Residents complained and the city’s mayor, Cam Guthrie, called for the “insensitive” and “ill-conceived” banner to be removed. “Public displays that remind residents of vicious murders and violence against women is unacceptable,” he said.
“This is a recent heinous crime which still impacts the family and friends who reside in Guelph. It has no place on banners celebrating our city history in conjunction with Canada’s 150th.”
Marty Williams, executive director of the Downtown Guelph Business Association, said the banner had been removed.
“We heard from a lot of people who thought that the original banner was insensitive to the victims and their families, “he said. “While that was never our intention, we understand their point of view and are sorry for any distress this may have caused.”
Mr Williams had previously defended the banner as portraying a part of the city’s history.
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In an interview after his release in 2000, Philip Wood said: “I deserved what I got. I did 16 years in a prison cell to reflect on it. There is nothing positive about someone dying and there is also nothing positive about a man staying in jail all these years. But it happened and it’s a chapter in my life that I wish hadn’t.”
Douglas Wood, whose face was also included on the banner, was deported to the UK in 1985.