On the night of September 11, 2026, over a thousand drones lit up Toronto's sky over Fort York — not for a celebration, but to sell an AI health chatbot. That isn't a stunt. It's a boundary crossed.

Ban aerial advertising

No more using the sky as a billboard. Drones, projected lights, or any airborne display pushing products should be off-limits over our communities. Public space isn't for sale to the highest bidder.

The sky is a commons

The sky above Canada is shared by every one of us — a public trust, not private property. Once it becomes an ad screen, there's no ceiling on it. A sky lit with logos belongs to no one and everyone at once.

Federal mandate needed

Airspace is federal jurisdiction. A national rule under the Aeronautics Act and Canadian Aviation Regulations can ban commercial aerial advertising in every province — one clear, enforceable law instead of a patchwork.

1  Sign the petition

We, the undersigned, call upon the House of Commons of Canada to enact a federal mandate prohibiting advertising in Canadian skies by drones, aerial displays, projected imagery, or any other airborne medium — because the sky above our communities is a shared public space, not a billboard.
House of Commons of Canada emblem

Sign the federal e-petition

Our formal petition is being prepared for the House of Commons. When it goes live on the official site, you'll sign it there — and we'll link to it right here.

Sign the Petition — Be Part of the Movement →
Counter shown here is our unofficial tally toward 1,000 and will be updated manually as signatures are collected on the official petition.
The ask: a federal mandate under the Government of Canada's authority over airspace and radiocommunication, supported by an amendment to the Canadian Aviation Regulations and the Aeronautics Act, that explicitly bars commercial advertising via drones or projected aerial imagery over Canadian communities.

2  What happened

The night our sky changed
Around 11 p.m. on September 11, 2026, more than a thousand drones lit up the sky over Toronto's waterfront near Fort York, displaying health questions — "Can melatonin lose its effect?" — before showing a QR code for the PC Health chatbot by Loblaw. The display ran 15 minutes.
Photograph of the PC Health drone display over Toronto's skyline the night of September 11, 2026
The drone display over the Toronto skyline on the night of September 11, 2026. Source: CBC News
The backlash
Residents and urban planners called it "dystopian," "horrible," and "maximally disruptive." One replier on social media: "these need to be banned immediately." Another said it hampered driving on the Gardiner Expressway. Urban planner Sean Galbraith asked: "Do we not have enough advertising along the highways that we have to now pollute the night sky with more ads?"
Regulatory gaps exposed
The City of Toronto approved a one-time grounds rental at Fort York but was not told who the client was or what the display was for. Transport Canada issued a special flight operations certificate (SFOC-RPAS) based on aviation safety — not on whether advertising in the sky is appropriate. Nobody had to ask Canadians.

Source: CBC News — "Drone-powered ad for PC Health chatbot slammed as 'dystopian'" (Sep 11, 2026).

3  Why this matters

The sky is a public commons
The air above our cities is shared by everyone — a public trust, not a commodity. Once advertising is normalized there, there is no ceiling on how much of our sky becomes a screen. It degrades the experience of day and night for every Canadian.
No consent, no choice
Highway billboards and storefront signs can be avoided by choosing a different route. A drone show over the sky cannot be avoided — it imposes itself on every person under it, including while they drive or try to sleep.
Safety and distraction
Bright, moving, dynamic displays at night distract drivers and airspace users and obscure the natural sky. Advertising is not a safety-critical use of airspace; the burden should be on the advertiser to justify it — not on Canadians to tolerate it.
A clear federal mandate
Canada already regulates aviation and the airwaves. This movement asks Parliament to extend that authority to explicitly ban commercial aerial advertising — a clear, national, enforceable line in the sky.

4  How this petition actually works

Canada's official process is a federal e-petition to the House of Commons. Being clear about how it works — and what it can't do — is part of this movement's honesty.

1
Gather initial support
5 people must initially support the proposed e-petition.
2
An MP authorizes it
A Member of Parliament must authorize the petition for publication — a sponsor who agrees to present it.
3
Collect signatures
Once published, it collects signatures for a set period: 30, 60, 90, or 120 days.
4
Reach 500 valid signatures
When it reaches 500 valid signatures, it can be certified and presented in the House of Commons.
5
The Government must respond
After presentation, the Government is required to provide a response within 45 calendar days.
The important distinction: Getting 500 signatures does not mean this becomes law. It formally brings the issue before Parliament and requires a government response. For something to actually become federal law, it must go through the full legislative process: a bill is introduced, debated, considered by committees, passed by both the House of Commons and the Senate, and receives Royal Assent.
So, in short: 500 signatures → the issue gets presented to Parliament → the government must respond → not automatically law. (Paper petitions have a much lower threshold: just 25 valid signatures.)

Our goal of 1,000 signatures is set above the 500 threshold because this is a national issue — and a larger, demonstrated groundswell carries more weight when an MP and the Government consider it.

5  How to help

1
Sign the petition
Use the form at the top of this page. Every signature strengthens the case we present to Parliament.
2
Tell your MP
Write to your Member of Parliament and ask them to support a federal mandate against aerial advertising. Share this page.
3
Share the movement
Post this page on social media and tag your MP. Pressure works when it's visible.
4
Report future incidents
If you see aerial advertising in your community, report it to Transport Canada's drone incident reporting tool and to your municipality.
A note on scope: This petition does not oppose drone shows as art, celebration, or public events — only commercial advertising. Fireworks and sanctioned public displays remain welcome. The line we draw is simple: our sky is not for sale.