The debate over whether to add a second armoured vehicle to Memorial Park in Sackville, N.B., is growing even more heated.
Sackville town council has decided to halt the installation of the new vehicle and now obscene images have been sprayed-painted on the original memorial.
Legion president Doreen Richards found out about the vandalism on Saturday and said she was “disgusted.”
“It's a peaceful place,” she said. “It's nice to sit and talk to people. To think that somebody would do that. It is a memorial park and we have it here for our veterans.”
Mayor John Higham says the armoured vehicle that currently sits in the park was spray-painted with graffiti -- which the city has since covered.
“We were celebrating the 30th anniversary of our waterfall park here in town and staff advised me when I arrived to that ceremony that there had been some vandalism on the scout that's probably behind us in this picture,” Higham said.
The vandalism comes just days after a debate erupted over whether the town should install a second armoured vehicle.
“Most feel that the timing is odd and that the car has been there for quite a long period of time and was vandalized in the midst of this,” Higham said.
Higham says he's also been made aware of heated debates on social media from parties on both sides.
“Unfortunately, it sounds like both sides are exchanging things that may not be appropriate behaviour for adults in a conversation of democracy,” he said.
Megan Mitton, the MLA for the area, was unavailable for an interview Monday but in a statement she said she's was disappointed to hear that the park had been vandalized. She said hopes that going forward, everyone can honour the democratic values the war veterans fought for.”
Resident Kevin Hicks was a member of the reserves. He says the park should be used to preserve history.
“If you don't remember your history, you're bound to repeat it,” Hicks said. “Somebody said this new armoured car would glorify war; war is not glorious.”
Richards says she's confident the town will decide to go forward with the installation of the second vehicle, despite the current tensions.
“Overall, Sackville wants the Cougar and we're going to fight to get it.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Eilish Bonang.
