William Lacey says he just wanted to see the centre of Canada’s political power, not make a political statement, but the CFO of a Calgary energy company suddenly found himself in a secure room of the Upper Chamber in the nation’s capital just the same when an overzealous security guard decided his shirt might contain a message other visitors might find offensive.

While in Ottawa over the long weekend, Lacey and his wife decided to tour the Senate, but they barely made it into the lobby before a security guard stopped them.

Lacey was wearing a black T-shirt , emblazoned with the words “I LOVE CANADIAN OIL AND GAS” (a heart symbol and maple leaf were used in place of Love and Canadian).

That's when Lacey got a request he didn't see coming.

“(He) looked at me," Lacey says, "and said ‘Excuse me sir, I’m going to have to ask you to remove that shirt.”

Lacey says he asked the guard why and was told that clothing bearing political messages was forbidden in the building.  He says the guard told him some people may find the shirt offensive.

Lacey maintained there was no political message behind his outfit - and that the group that makes the shirts, Canada Oilsands Action, is explicitly non-partisan.

“I found it frankly, a bit upsetting “ Lacey says, “especially in a public place.”

He says the guard told him he could either turn his shirt inside out and continue his tour of the building, or leave.

Lacey chose to stay.

However, the following day he wrote a letter to the offices of the Prime Minister and Official Opposition, and Alberta’s senators, describing what happened.

He says he heard back from several senators, and his incident was even raised in a Senate committee meeting Thursday morning.

Lacey say he also toured the House of Commons the same day as his Senate visit and nobody stopped him or told him his shirt was inappropriate.

Lacey says he regularly wears the T-shirt, not to rile people up, but to support his industry

“I’m proud of what we do, I’m proud of the people I work with and I’m proud of the advances we have made as an industry” he says.

“It’s time we step up and tell our story better.”

Lacey says nobody from the security or administrative offices of the Senate have reached out to him to explain why he was forbidden from wearing the shirt.

Thursday afternoon, Guillaume Vandal, the Chief of Staff of Parliamentary Protective Service sent a statement to CTV that offered Lacey a mea culpa of sorts.

"At the outset, we offer our apologies to the gentleman that raised this issue for the situation he experienced during his tour," it said. "The Parliamentary Protective service expects its personnel to always conduct themselves with professionalism and respect towards parliamentarians, employees and visitors.

"In this case, the personnel misinterpreted a message on the visitor's article of clothing. The staff involved will be receiving operational guidance and training with respect to visitors to the Hill."

Meanwhile, back in Calgary, provincial energy minister Sonya Savage weighed in on the incident, while dressed in the same t-shirt that got Lacey into hot water with Senate security.

"I wear this one a lot," she said. "I also wear the one that says 'I love pipelines'" she added.

"On what planet that anybody can find this offensive, I don't understand.

"Oil and gas fuels the country," she added.