An Edmonton veteran was relieved Wednesday, after hearing spray paint on a cenotaph on the city’s south side, had been cleaned up.
The news came after Canadian Forces veteran Kyle McLeod went to CTV News with his concerns Tuesday, months after he first noticed the Old Strathcona cenotaph had been vandalized – calling the vandalism ‘disrespectful’.
On Wednesday, City of Edmonton officials confirmed crews had cleaned up the monument, news McLeod was glad to hear.
“I was very happy that it’s cleaned up, it’s just a shame it had to go through such a process,” McLeod said.
It’s something Edmonton MP Laurie Hawn said should come with serious consequences.
“They’re there to memorialize the people that should mean so much to every single Canadian,” Hawn said. “Just very disappointing, very annoying, to say the least.”
Hawn said he hopes new legislation contained in Private Member’s Bill C-217 will create tough punishments for those convicted of vandalizing such monuments.
“The sentences in there right now are $1,000 for the first offence, up to 15 days for the second offence and 30 days for offences thereafter,” Hawn said.
“The government, Canadian people, take this stuff seriously, you can’t be doing that and there needs to be some consequences if you’re going to be that ignorant.”
McLeod agrees.
“I think there needs to be almost an example made,” McLeod said.
The bill was introduced in 2012, and is currently before the Senate.
The City of Edmonton said the cost of repair the monument was covered by the city.
With files from Ashley Molnar
