Statue of former PM Pierre Elliott Trudeau in Vaughan vandalized again

CP24.com
August 17, 2020
Miriam Katawazi

A statue of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau has been defaced once again with spray paint in Vaughan.

The same statue located at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park near Clark Avenue and Bathurst Street was the subject of an investigation in June when someone covered it in black paint.

Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua published a statement on Twitter condemning the “acts of vandalism”

“I am disappointed to learn acts of vandalism are taking place in our city as these actions do not reflect the values Vaughan stands for,” he said.

“The former prime minister created opportunities for Canadians and newcomers so that we may all live peacefully and free from discrimination.”

He also stated that he wants to recognize York Regional Police for “taking immediate action and for launching an investigation.”

York Regional Police told CTV News Toronto on Sunday they aren’t releasing any information on the investigation yet.

The City of Vaughan sent crews to the area to remove the paint.

Current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the son of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, has not officially commented on the incident.

Area resident Noah Litvak said seeing the statue defaced makes him feel upset and saddened.

“It just makes me feel kind of sad for our neighbourhood and also made me really want to see what we can do to help get this cleaned up and hopefully prevent this kind of stuff from happening again,” he said.