Latest update:21 October 2025, 10:46 IST

Marty Belanger’s post, in which he criticized immigrants, sparked mixed reactions. Some agreed he lost his Christmas emails, while others mocked him, calling him homeless and trash

Marty Belanger criticized Netflix for not knowing he wasn’t celebrating Diwali, despite having access to his personal data. (News 18 Hindi)

A Canadian man faced severe trolling on social media after he angrily responded to a Diwali greeting email using offensive language. Marty Belanger, a professional engineer from Alberta, reportedly expressed his annoyance at receiving the email from Netflix and insulted Indians in his response.

Diwali, a festival widely celebrated in Canada due to its large Indian immigrant population, recently saw Prime Minister Mark Carney attend a celebration in the Greater Toronto Area, where he highlighted the festival’s message of the triumph of light over darkness.

But Belanger was not pleased. He criticized Netflix for not knowing that he was not celebrating Diwali, despite having his personal data.

He said: “I’m a middle-aged white guy from Alberta who likes war movies, sci-fi and true crime documentaries. Stop sending me this crap.”

“I don’t care if third world immigrants come into my country and celebrate,” Marty wrote. His post sparked mixed reactions. Some Canadians said they had never received such Christmas emails, while others mocked him for overreacting to something he could have ignored. Many described him as homeless and trash due to his outbursts.

This controversy comes amid many discussions related to Diwali in Canada. A few days ago, a photo of Diwali-themed chocolates for sale at a Canadian store sparked controversy online. Recently, Mississauga City Council decided not to ban fireworks during Diwali, opting instead for strict regulations to manage noise, injuries and property damage.

The new rules include limiting fireworks to between 6pm and 10pm on holidays, except on New Year’s Eve, when they are allowed from 11pm to 1am, banning Roman candles, shortening sales periods, and requiring licensed vendors to maintain inventory and sales records. The sale of fireworks is now prohibited on holidays to prevent last-minute purchases.

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