Canada Games has shifted its $2-million ad account to BCP Toronto from Taxi Advertising and Taxi head Paul Lavoie is furious with the agency’s former Toronto president, John Lee.

Less than two months ago, Montreal-based Taxi won the account in a creative shoot out against several top Toronto agencies.

But after playing a key role in pitching for the account, Lee jumped ship to bcp as senior vice-president, strategy.

And now Canada Games has followed him to his new home.

‘I think it’s pretty sneaky, the way it was done,’ says Lavoie, president and creative director of Taxi.

‘We won that account on our creative merit, and while we were negotiating fees and contracts, John was negotiating with bcp,’ he says.

Kenny Albert, Canada Games vice-president of marketing and sales, says he decided to made a clean break with Taxi after Lee went to bcp.

‘Very simply, it wasn’t the same agency I signed on without John,’ Albert says.

For his part, Lee is quick to emphasize the Canada Games account shuffle is in no way indicative of any dissatisfaction with his former agency.

Canada Games, based in Brampton, Ont., markets more than 200 game products including Balderdash and Creepy Crawlers.