'This is a sacred symbol': Holy Roller vandalized again
Months after London, Ont.’s famed Holy Roller was returned to Victoria Park after a year-long restoration, the WWII-era Sherman tank has once again been vandalized.
Over the weekend, it was discovered that a suspect(s) had taken an object and carved words onto the front of the tank.
While the damage is only visible up close and it’s difficult to make out what it says, it’s clear the famed WWII tank has once again been vandalized — and it’s something London Mayor Ed Holder can’t get his head around.
“To imagine that people would do this,” he tells CTV News London on Sunday. “I’ve said before, you can’t fix stupid, and that’s what this is all about.”
Holder adds that while Holy Roller will be fixed, there are no plans to move it to a safer location.
Damage is visible on the front of London, Ont.'s Holy Roller tank, as seen on August 28, 2022. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)
This is the second time since its restoration in the spring that the London icon has been vandalized.
In June, a 44-year-old individual was charged with mischief after allegedly vandalizing the tank with a grinder, causing $6,000 in damages.
In June 2021, Holy Roller was removed from Victoria Park where it underwent an extensive restoration and repairs at Fanshawe College, as years of wear and tear had taken a toll on the tank. In May, Holy Roller was unveiled to the public following the year-long restoration, and returned to Victoria Park during a rededication ceremony.
Holy Roller is one of two Canadian tanks to fight in WWII until the end of the war.
“This point is, this is a sacred symbol for our city and one of our most respected citizens, so we have to honour it,” says Holder.
— With files from CTV News London’s Brent Lale
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
TSB concludes investigation into cause of London, Ont. freight train fire
More than two weeks after a freight train with several railcars ablaze rolled through the heart of the Forest City, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has concluded its investigation.