Does this image really show Canadian billboards targeting Indians over open defecation on the beaches? Fact Check
Claim : Image allegedly shows Canadian billboards targeting Indians for open defecation on the beaches.
Conclusion : The claim is false. The image is digitally altered from a 2018 public health campaign in Ghana aimed at ending open defecation there. No evidence supports the existence of such billboards in Canada.
Rating : False 
Several social media users have shared a post which allegedly showcases a billboard in Canada targeting Indians. X user ‘migrantwoodcamp’ shared such a post, claiming that Canada ला शेवटी हिंदी भाषा आत्मसात करावीच लागली. Poster with a message in hindi for refraining people-hindi people (who else) from defeating on the beach. But never mind, uttar bhartiyas that’s how you conquered beaches of mumbai, now bring it to the Canada.’टॅटी- tatty’. The accompanying image shows a billboard with the slogan “Beaches are not toilets. Don’t do it here!” alongside Hindi text translating to “No open defecation,” a graphic of a person squatting, and logos from the Government of Ghana, Canada, and UNICEF. View the post below ——
🇨🇦 Canada ला शेवटी हिंदी भाषा आत्मसात करावीच लागली.😅
Poster with a message in hindi for refraining people-hindi people (who else) from defeating on the beach.
But never mind, uttar bhartiyas that’s how you conquered beaches of mumbai, now bring it to the Canada.😅
‘टॅटी- tatty’ pic.twitter.com/SEFfFy5jGR— migrantwood (@migrantwoodcamp) February 17, 2026
Other users have shared similar claims that can be seen here
FACT CHECK
DigitEYE India decided to investigate this claim and found that it is false. The picture has been manipulated and traces back to a 2018 public health initiative in Ghana focused on eliminating open defecation. There is no credible proof that similar billboards have ever been displayed in Canada.
We conducted a reverse search on the image to confirm its authenticity and learn about the origin of the source. The search took us to a report published by Business Ghana on August 1, 2018. The article highlights how Canada contributed about $850,000 to support Ghana’s sanitation drive, with officials noting open defecation is a “significant” development challenge and warning that “as long as people continue to defecate in the open, everyone is at risk of disease.”. View this section from the report below-
Following this, the exact matches to the reverse image search results took us to several Reddit posts. These posts showcase the real, unedited image and mention that this was an advertising campaign in Ghana. Some of these posts can be viewed here and here, proving that the image in the claim is edited.
Lastly, we found this same image on Shutterstock with the location tagged as Accra, Ghana. From the image description posted on May 1, 2018, we learnt that “The billboard “Beaches are not toilets” on the street of Accra” View the screenshot of this below –
(Sreengrab: Shutterstock)
A report published by National Post does not attach the image but the description matches it. For example, the report notes “The public health sanitation project included a large, graphic billboard showing people squatting on a beach with the slogan, “Beaches are not toilets — Don’t do it here.” A government of Canada mark is strategically placed at the bottom alongside the logos of the Ghanaian government and of the UN aid program, UNICEF.” This confirms that the billboard was in Ghana and not a campaign against Indian people in Canada.
Thus, the claim is false.
