A message soaked in kerosene: Candidates vow they won’t be intimidated after sign tampering
Candidates for council seats in London, Ont. are vowing they won’t be intimidated after another spate of sign-tampering on the campaign trail.
“This isn’t about my campaign,” says mayoral candidate Josh Morgan.
He adds, “Every single candidate in the city has seen sign damage, and the aggressiveness of the sign damage in this campaign though I think is really new.”
His comments come as campaign workers discovered two large four-by-eight foot signs in two separate locations — White Oaks and Pond Mills — had been set on fire. One of the signs was still dripping with an accelerant, believed to be kerosene, Morgan explains.
“And no wonder people don’t want to run for office, and for a new candidate to see this sort of thing, this is the type of thing that pushes people away,” he adds.
A damaged election sign for Ward 9 candidate Baqar Khan is seen in London, Ont. on Oct. 5, 2022. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)
Meantime, it happened once and Baqar Khan didn’t think anything of it. Then it happened again, and again, and again. Soon, three election signs had been stolen and two destroyed.
The Ward 9 hopeful didn’t want to believe it, but he had to admit to himself that something was amiss.
“When I came it was completely broken like this,” he says, pointing to a broken sign on the ground at the corner of Westdel Bourne Road and Kains Road. “All of the other signs were intact, I don’t know who’s doing this.”
The first-time candidate says it’s not how he wanted to get his name known.
“Okay, I have lots of other signs, I can place one more over here. But the thing is, these tactics don’t stop me from running. This is my right. I’m a Canadian citizen. I want to run for my ward.” He adds.
London, Ont. mayoral candidate Josh Morgan is seen in front of election signs on Oct. 5, 2022 ahead of London's municipal election. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)
Ward 12 incumbent Elizabeth Peloza also previously said an election sign she had at the corner of Wellington and Southdale roads was set on fire and destroyed beyond use.
Stealing or damaging signs is a criminal offence. The charges include mischief or theft, and depending on the nature of the damage, it could also be considered a hate crime.
“If I actually had a message for other candidates who are experiencing this type of damage, it’s ‘stick with it,’ especially new candidates,” says Morgan, a council veteran. “Don’t let this deter you from engaging with voters and going out there, and making your voice heard.”
Representatives from mayoral candidate Khalil Ramal’s office say his signs have been getting vandalized, broken and painted.
They said in an email to CTV News one large 8’ by 4’ sign was burned at Commissioners with Pond Mills just two days ago.
“Three signs broken and teared off and painted at Fanshaw with Clarke Road last week,” the email said.
Representatives say signs have been vandalized and stolen from over 50 locations in the city.
— With files from CTV News London's Kristylee Varley
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.