'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
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
'$6.66 per day': Advocacy groups disheartened by funding in budget for disability benefit
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
BREAKING Former Air Canada employees among suspects identified in gold heist at Pearson airport: police
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
MPs summon ArriveCan contractor to the House to be admonished in rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.