Skip to main content

Ottawa police issue warning that damaging election signs is illegal

Ottawa Vanier Liberal candidate Lucille Collard says her campaign signs were defaced overnight. (LucilleCollard/Twitter) Ottawa Vanier Liberal candidate Lucille Collard says her campaign signs were defaced overnight. (LucilleCollard/Twitter)
Share

Ottawa police are reminding the public that damaging campaign signs is illegal, after several candidates running in the provincial election campaign reported damage to signs.

Last weekend, Ottawa Vanier Liberal candidate Lucille Collard said five campaign signs had to be replaced because “of the acts of a few vandals.”

On Friday, Kanata-Carleton NDP candidate Melissa Coenraad posted photos on campaign signs with graffiti, including one saying "Witch."

“I know that art comes in all shapes and sizes, but campaign signs aren’t canvases,” Coenraad said. “Someone in Constance Bay felt artsy today. Please don’t deface anyone’s campaign signs. We can disagree on politics and still be civil.”

Collard's office said more campaign signs were damaged this week.

Ottawa police issued a statement Friday afternoon warning vandals.

“People can be charged for destroying or causing damage to signs. Charges can include mischief to property.”

Vandalized campaign signs are nothing new during election campaigns in Ottawa.

During last summer's federal election campaign, Liberal and Conservative candidates in Ottawa reported vandalized campaign signs.

Correction

An earlier version of this story said damaging election signs is an offence under the Canada Elections Act. However, the Canada Elections Act only applies to elections at the federal level. The Ottawa Police Service tweeted incorrect information.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'

The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.

Stay Connected