'Pretty demoralizing': Vandals hit Edmonton community league hall for second time

The Riverbend Community League is preparing to once again rebuild and repair their Brookside Hall after a second break-in three months.

Volunteers of the league arrived Saturday morning to find their hall unrecognizable after an extreme act of vandalism.

"When they smashed the thermostat off the wall, the furnace alerted us that there was a problem," said Miep Raedschelders, Riverbend Community League president. "And of course, when a volunteer comes to address that, and they come upon this, it's quite a gut punch."

Miep Raedschelders, Riverbend Community League president, looks into the kitchen at the Brookside Community Hall after a vandalism. (Brandon Lynch/CTV News Edmonton)It was shocking to see the level of damage done to the hall, she said, with drywall and ceiling tiles covering the floor alongside paint and broken chairs. Walls had been torn down and spray painted, kitchen cabinets ripped apart and appliances toppled.

"We heard water running, walked over to the washrooms, noticed that the fixtures had all been smashed to pieces," Raedschelders said. "It was just horrendous."

"What I see here is a level of anger and violence that I don't completely comprehend."

Vandalism at the Brookside Community Hall, Dec.31. (Brandon Lynch/CTV News Edmonton)In addition to the physical damage to the building, there were threatening messages and racial slurs spray painted throughout the hall.

"It's hard to see just the amount of negativity and the fact that racialized people are targeted even in a community league building that really is about bringing people together and creating an air of positivity," she said.

"When you see slurs that single out people in the community, it really shakes you as far as what we're trying to accomplish here."

The league had only just finished renovating from the previous break-in and vandalism, Raedschelders said. The ceiling and floors were all brand new, and now they were destroyed.

"It was really hard to see because we'd been here just the night before, quite pleased with the progress that had been done as far as the restoration from the previous vandalism," she said, adding that the hall was in the process of upgrading the security but had not finished.

"We were so excited to reopen and then to have this happen is just hard."

Vandalism at the Brookside Community Hall, Dec.31. (Brandon Lynch/CTV News Edmonton)Community programming was scheduled to resume the first week of January, but won't be able to go ahead until repairs have been made. Because the league is volunteer-run and has limited resources, it's going to take time to rebuild, Raedschelders said.

"We fundraise, we apply for grants to get anything done. So that sometimes takes years," she added. "And when you see the hard work and the time that goes into something just wiped away in the course of a night, it can be pretty demoralizing."

"It makes me really sad that there are people that don't feel connected to the community and who don't see value in what we're attempting to accomplish here, and I hope that they find some peace."

Edmonton police said the damage is believed to have taken place overnight between Dec. 30 and 31. No suspects have been identified yet. 

Chairs smashed into the wall during a vandalism at the Brookside Community Hall, Dec.31. (Brandon Lynch/CTV News Edmonton)

Ward pihêsiwin councillor Tim Cartmell said he's saddened to see the damage to the hall and that programing is once again being put on hold because of vandals.

"The damage is really shocking, honestly. It's demoralizing. It's really concerning," he said. "It seems beyond just sort of mischievous vandalism."

Because of the damage to the hall's plumbing, water service to the site has been shut off and Cartmell said now the rink would also remain out of use until repairs can be made.

"It's the interruption of all of those programs," he said. "And that sense of loss of safety, loss of security, loss of comfort."

"But it will also be an opportunity for the community to rally and to really demonstrate what a great community this is." 

On Tuesday, the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (EFCL) launched a fundraising and awareness campaign to support rebuilding efforts, including collecting monetary donations and contributions of expertise or labour.

"Our central concern is that volunteers now face months of work to restore a facility that acts as a place to connect the community," said Jenn Parsonage, EFCL president.

"We're heartened to already see a strong community response," Parsonage added in a statement. "The EFCL will now work to organize that response to allow Riverbend the time it needs to heal and get to work."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha and Adam Lachacz