A local veteran is expressing outrage over vandalism to an Edmonton cenotaph. Kyle McLeod says he first reported the graffiti to the city last fall, but nothing has been done to clean it up.
McLeod served with the Canadian Armed Forces for five years. He walks past the cenotaph in Old Strathcona every day.
“They don’t understand the significance of what this is I don’t think.” McLeod told CTV News on Tuesday, “To do it to a building is one thing, but to do it to a cenotaph is completely on another level.”
He says he has made numerous calls to 311 to alert the city about the problem.
“They said yes, we'll send someone right out, they never did.” McLeod says, “It’s disrespectful. I’m ashamed of the city, whoever did this. It’s disrespectful.”
But the city says this is the first they’ve heard about the vandalism.
“We have no record of the graffiti complaint coming in regarding the cenotaph.” Sharon Chapman of the Community Standards Branch says.
Ben Henderson, the Councillor for the area promises that now that the city is aware, the cleanup process will be quick.
“Cenotaphs and things of that nature are high priorities to clean up as fast as we know there’s a problem.” Henderson said Tuesday.
The cenotaph was originally erected in 1967. It has been a focal point of Remembrance Day ceremonies. It had to be replaced in 2005 after it was destroyed by vandals. Henderson says he’s been working with veterans to have the cenotaph moved to a more prominent area of the park.
With files from Ashley Molnar
