Canadian town greases poles to stop ads

The city of Vaughan in Ontario, Canada, has found a way to keep its city poles and signs free from ugly fliers: spray a non-stick oil on them. “I was sitting in the intersection and I saw all this stuff and said, ‘That's enough, we have to do something,’ ” says one not-very-busy city councilman, who may have chosen this project over playing a game of Tetris. The substance being used is a mysterious product simply called The Solution. It’s reportedly non-toxic, non-flammable, non-hazardous and approved by Ontario’s environment ministry. The project is being referred to informally as the “Pam for spam” initiative. It’s unclear how Pam cooking spray feels about that.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

June 29, 2006 | Permalink