Sask premier sorry if people offended by use of 9-11 image in fundraiser poster

REGINA - Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says he's sorry if anyone was offended by a fundraising poster that shows the World Trade Center on fire during the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

The image with flames exploding from one tower and a thick plume of black smoke rising from the other is the background photo on a poster for a pig roast being held in April by the Saskatchewan Party in Martensville near Saskatoon.

The guest speaker at the dinner is Chief Richard Picciotto, the highest-ranking firefighter pulled from the rubble after the Twin Towers collapsed.

"Certainly from the party's perspective, I would say as leader of the party, if anybody found that offensive then I apologize to them," said Wall.

Wall says Picciotto, a motivational speaker, has used the photo on other occasions. The premier also says that he doesn't believe Environment Minister Nancy Heppner, who represents Martensville, intended to upset people.

The Opposition NDP says it has had calls from people who were concerned about the poster.

"Most of them were just saying that they were shocked by the use of the poster, shocked by the context of the use of the poster," said New Democrat Sandra Morin.

Morin said the poster is "less than tasteful."

"This gentleman from my understanding uses this poster in other speaking engagements as well. It's the context in which the poster was used that has caused the upset of emotion," said Morin, noting that the words "pig roast" are directly over the flames.

Heppner said the placement of the words on the poster never crossed her mind as the constituency prepared for its annual pig roast.

She said Picciotto has an amazing story to tell and the picture was chosen because it reflects his tale. The poster says Picciotto was trapped in the stairwell of the sixth and seventh floors of the north tower, buried in the rubble for four hours.

"It was never our intention to appear insensitive or offend anybody. It was simply chosen because the Twin Towers falling on that day are the source of his story," Heppner told reporters at the legislature.

"It would make me feel horrible if people were offended by this. That was never our intention and if anybody is, I obviously would apologize to them for it."

More than 2,600 people died when the towers collapsed, including some 400 emergency workers and 24 Canadians.