World's longest blackboard removed from Toronto and people are angry

A nearly-kilometre long blackboard that was used as a place of peaceful protest has now been covered up, and people are outraged.

In the latest effort to veil public displeasure about Doug Ford's controversial plans to develop the lands of Ontario Place into a mega-spa, the fence, that had been covered in graffiti protesting the development, has been covered up by what some locals call "propaganda."

Now they're taking away our Ontario Place blackboard #biketo pic.twitter.com/xig1HrNdZY

— Toronto Mike (@torontomike) March 13, 2024

The fence didn't only make headlines for the protest artwork that adorned it, though. It also gained the distinction, thanks to those drawings, of quite possibly being the largest blackboard in the world.

Now, covered in glossy graphics, touting a message that seems to retaliate against the messages, many of which depicted the area's native animals decrying the loss of their home.

"The new Ontario Place will be a destination for everyone to enjoy all year round. All day. Every day," the graphics that now cover the fence read.

Some Toronto residents, though, just aren't buying it.

Toronto resident Moses Shuldiner says he was "offended" to find the glossy government ads covering up "that beautiful, artistic chalk graffiti that was hurting no one and [...] was so informative about the animals and the plants that lived on the side. It was just so respectful."

People are making the controversial Ontario Place fence look like the Berlin Wall https://t.co/4LwdXUo7KW

— blogTO (@blogTO) January 23, 2024

By covering up the graffiti, Moses adds, they've also ruined the fun of being home to the world's largest blackboard for the sake, ostensibly, of suppressing the messages shared on the board.

This is not the first time the Ontario Place fence has sparked outrage in the community. Last year, when the fence went up, many locals suggested it was there to "hide the destruction of Ontario Place."