Testosterone-Heavy and Tone-Deaf: Cornwall’s “Support Local” Video Fails to Represent more than Half the Population

I hadn’t seen the video until last night.

While attending the NDP campaign launch, I overheard Jason Setnyk asking Councillor Elaine MacDonald for her thoughts on the City of Cornwall’s new “Shop Local” promo video. His tone caught my attention, so I immediately checked it out.

And I was unbelievably disappointed.

This is 2025—and in a nearly two-minute, city-backed video meant to highlight our local businesses, farms, and industries, women are practically invisible. The only time a woman appears alone in full frame, she’s blurry and in the background, serving a beer. That’s it. That’s her cameo.

No prominent woman. Few minorities. No newcomers.

How is this acceptable?

Cornwall is full of incredible women and minorities who own, run, and support local businesses. Chefs, artists, farmers, stylists, therapists—and yes, even a few media moguls (wink, wink)—we’re not just part of the scene, we’re driving it. So to watch a video that claims to celebrate “what makes us unique” and see only men—mostly white men at that? That’s not just a blind spot. It’s a slap in the face.

Not to mention the fact that the presence of two minorities featured in the video, Mayor Towndale and Grand Chief Lazore, appears strictly incidental. It’s not as if they could have left them out in a video about Cornwall and the surrounding area. If they could have, they probably would have. The lack of genuine representation isn’t just disappointing. What a missed opportunity to truly reflect the vibrant diversity that defines our community.

I suppose I should be grateful they at least included Akwesasne—but bare-minimum representation isn’t something to pat ourselves on the back for.

The city’s caption reads:
“When challenges arise, we stand together. Our local businesses, family farms, and industries are the backbone of our community. Now is the time to unite and celebrate what makes us unique.”

But who exactly is “we” in this video?

Representation matters. Visibility matters. And when a publicly funded or municipally endorsed campaign erases the presence of women in our workforce, it sends the message that our work, our businesses, and our contributions don’t matter.

It’s exhausting.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1htlqH_M4LI

Let’s do better. Let’s demand better. Because a community that claims to stand together shouldn’t leave half its people out of the picture.

6:00pm update: Cornwall Mayor posted the following statement