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MONTREAL — In photos, the event seems innocuous, healthy even. Rosy-cheeked children chase a ball around the snow-packed surface at Montreal’s Fête des Neiges.

But a Quebec anti-obesity group says the ubiquitous Tim Hortons and Timbits logos on display – on banners, on rink boards and on the jerseys worn by the young ball hockey players at the family-oriented winter festival – is illegal advertising leading children down an unhealthy path.

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“I have no problem with Tim Hortons encouraging kids to play outside, but when they use aggressive advertising to place their products, that’s where I have an ethical problem,” said Corinne Voyer, the director of Coalition Poids.

She said research shows that diet plays a bigger role in obesity than physical exercise.

‘When they use aggressive advertising to place their products, that’s where I have an ethical problem’

In a complaint filed Friday with Quebec’s consumer protection agency, the Coalition Poids accuses Tim Hortons of violating a Quebec law that prohibits advertising aimed at children.