'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
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.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
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.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.