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A military base newspaper has rejected an ad from a law firm looking to represent those sexually harassed in the Canadian Forces because it would further draw attention to the issue.

The ad from a Victoria, B.C., law firm offered victims of sexual assault or harassment in the military “a safe and supportive environment to tell your story” and included contact information. It also contained a quote from Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance about how sexual misconduct is a threat to the military.

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But the senior military leadership at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt put out the word that the ad was not to run.

“Our newspaper cannot be used as a vehicle to further amplify the sexual harassment issue currently in the mainstream media,” Melissa Atkinson of the Lookout newspaper told law firm, Acheson, Sweeney, Foley and Sahota in an email.

Our newspaper cannot be used as a vehicle to further amplify the sexual harassment issue currently in the mainstream media

The newspaper, distributed on the base and to the public at various locations in Victoria, actively solicits ads.