PR firms jump into ethanol plant debate

OSHAWA -- The people, the politicians and the proponent are not the only ones involved in the debate over whether to allow an ethanol plant at the Oshawa waterfront.

As the clock ticks toward council's vote on the issue, public relations companies are stepping up efforts to massage the message.

FarmTech Energy, the company behind the proposal, has had Toronto firm Sussex Strategy working on its behalf for several months, helping to create promotional materials, liaise with council and the City, and drum up support for the proposal.

Now a second firm has entered the fray. Website www.supportourport.ca launched near the end of August and was circulated to stakeholders and promoted on popular social networking website Facebook.

The site was created by Toronto advertising agency Drive Strategic and features website links, a survey, a petition in favour of the FarmTech proposal, news stories and video clips.

Drive Strategic spokesman Mike Wiles said the company was contracted by "several groups in the industry," to build the site.

"We're just a third party who was asked to make it," he said. "It's so people would have access to links and press releases and other information on the biofuel industry."

Since launching, the Support our Port has created some controversy.

On Sept. 2, Oshawa council asked City staff to track down the owners and demand that the City's logo be removed from a section of the site marked "partners," because it implied the City supports the FarmTech proposal, when council has yet to vote on the matter.

"Our City logo and identifiers are absolutely not to be used without permission, and that is what happened here," said Councillor Louise Parkes, who moved the motion.

Vivian Sled, an officer with Downtown Oshawa Board of Management, also experienced problems when she was prominently featured in a video clip on the site, which indicated she supports the FarmTech proposal.

Ms. Sled said she was walking downtown one afternoon last month, when she spotted what appeared to be a reporter and videographer interviewing passersby.

"They identified themselves as reporters from Toronto and asked to interview me about the ethanol plant," she said. "I told them I was the last person who should say anything, because I don't know enough about the issue yet. But, they pushed and pushed. They said, in lieu of the GM cutbacks, wouldn't I want to see jobs here?"

Ms. Sled said she wants to see jobs and industry come to Oshawa, but she was clear she did not want to comment on the FarmTech proposal.

"Then they edited what I said to make it look like I offered my support, and it was put on the site," she said.

The clip of Ms. Sled also appeared with the words "We support the FarmTech Energy plant in the port of Oshawa" superimposed over top.

"It's very underhanded," Ms. Sled said. "I want people to know what their tactics are."

Mr. Wiles confirmed his company produced the videos on the site. He said nothing was edited in a misleading fashion, but acknowledged that Ms. Sled was featured without her permission -- something Drive Strategic attempted to rectify with a letter of apology to her.

The video in question and the City of Oshawa logo have now been removed from the site.