Federal election campaign signs for Sault Ste. Marie - Algoma Liberal candidate Terry Sheehan and NDP candidate Laura Mayer were vandalized overnight.
Sault Police informed both candidates’ campaign offices Saturday morning and the damaged signs were replaced by Liberal and NDP campaign workers.
Signs bearing Sheehan’s name were sprayed with obscenities and posters with portraits of Prime Minister Mark Carney were blacked out with spray paint at Sheehan’s campaign office at 618 Queen St. E.
Obscenities were also sprayed on Sheehan signs on the Pim Street traffic island, the corner of Church Street and Wellington St. E. and the corner of Trunk Road and Black Road.
At least three of NDP candidate Mayer’s signs were sprayed with slogans - one at the Pim Street traffic island and others at the corner of Bay and East Streets and the corner of Pine Street and MacDonald Avenue.
“It's troubling,” Sheehan told SooToday.
“It's disappointing. We haven't seen something like this in Sault Ste. Marie at this volume and so targeted. This is stuff you see in the United States, maybe in a larger urban centre in Canada, but you don't see that in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma. It's very disappointing.”
The damage done to campaign signs has not discouraged Sheehan or his campaign team, the Liberal candidate said.
“We will not be shaken. We're stronger than ever. I think this is redoubling our resolve to stand up and be Canadian, to stand for the values that represent us as Canadians, our kindness, our politeness, our strength,” Sheehan said.
NDP candidate Mayer was assisting her campaign workers replace damaged signs this morning.
“This is cowardly and undemocratic. We deserve better. We deserve a campaign that is focused on real issues, real dialogue and respectful debate,” Mayer told SooToday.
Mayer said that there have been “a lot of negative and very disrespectful” comments made against the NDP and Liberals in Sault Ste. Marie - Algoma through social media.
“People are running in good faith as candidates to do better for their communities and I don't think this (vandalism) has any place in a democratic society. This is not something that should be accepted especially when it’s done under cover of night. It's not a very effective intimidation tactic. We'll continue with the campaign,” Mayer said.
Both campaigns said Sault Police are investigating.
Damaging or removing election signs is illegal and may result in charges under the Criminal Code or the Canada Elections Act.
The federal election is Monday, April 28.
The Elections Canada list of confirmed candidates for Sault Ste. Marie-Algoma includes:
- James Collins, Christian Heritage Party of Canada
- Robyn Kiki Eshkibok, Green Party of Canada
- Laura Mayer, New Democratic Party
- Terry Sheehan, Liberal Party of Canada
- Hugh Stevenson, Conservative Party of Canada