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
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.