WELLINGTON COUNTY – Local police say there have been no official reports filed with them about election sign vandalism in the county, despite several complaints to the Advertiser suggesting dozens of signs have been damaged or stolen in the riding of Wellington-Halton Hills.
“Is it okay to slash in half, tear from their posts, spray paint, steal or even, in one case, attempt to burn Liberal Party campaign signs in Wellington-Halton Hills?” asked Fergus resident Harvey Thomson in an Aug. 31 letter to the Advertiser.
“All of this and more has been done to Liberal signs.”
Frank Tersigni, campaign manager for Wellington-Halton Hills Liberal candidate Melanie Lang, confirmed on Sept. 1 that about 70 of Lang’s large signs have been damaged.
He provided to the Advertiser several photos showing signs that have been damaged – one set on fire – as well as a TikTok video of a vehicle running over a Lang sign with a man’s voice in the back ground saying “ya, f*** you, Trudeau.”
On Aug. 24, Syl Carle, a PPC candidate in Wellington-Halton Hills, told the Advertiser his signs have also been vandalized.
“It is truly disappointing that there are members of our community that are being disrespectful of Canada’s democracy by destroying political signage,” Carle wrote, adding “police will be pursuing” the incidents.
However, Wellington County OPP spokesperson Josh Cunningham told the Advertiser on Aug. 31 that he “found no reports of mischief to election signs within the county.”
Police encourage those aware of damaged/stolen signs to contact them.
The Advertiser has not received any other reports of widespread sign tampering in either Wellington-Halton Hills or Perth-Wellington (the occasional case is common during elections).
