A damaged sign for Alberta NDP candidate Gwendoline Dirk is seen on May 5, 2023. (Photo Courtesy Kevin Kyle)

By Chris Brown

NDP and UCP reporting damage to campaign signs

May 8, 2023 | 1:05 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – With an election comes election signs and once those are up damage to the signs is often not far behind.

Tampering with or stealing signs is a criminal code offence and those doing so could be charged with mischief to property or theft under $5,000 and face up to two years in prison.

Alberta NDP supporter Cathy Linowski says she has seen party signs damaged in both Medicine Hat ridings, most notably along Parkview Drive in Crescent Heights.

On Friday, a hole could be seen on a Gwendoline Dirk sign next to the Maple Avenue Bridge and over the weekend the wooden frame of a Dirk sign on Ranchlands Boulevard was destroyed.

RECAP

Week in review: Truth and reconciliation in Medicine Hat, Smith at cities conference

7h ago

At Medicine Hat's Kom Mo Taan, people find healing

Sep 27, 2024

WHAT'S ON

Here is what's on for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Medicine Hat

Sep 27, 2024

Linowski says she’s seen two-by-four frames smashed to pieces and the signs themselves ripped into little pieces and punched. She says the person responsible was intent on making sure the signs would never be used again.

She says seeing the damage to the signs on public property gave her second thoughts about having a sign on her property.

“I think I live in a good neighbourhood and I feel pretty confident my neighbours wouldn’t do anything. But I know I’ve talked to some other people who live in other neighbourhoods in the city and they won’t have a sign because of their fear of retribution of doing so,” she says.

“So I hope that that doesn’t happen and hopefully people will feel more confident that they can safely do that. Because again like I said it’s not right in Canada that we should have to be afraid of having an opinion about something.”

Linowski says she reported the damaged signs to the local NDP office and was moved to volunteer with the party afterward.

She wants people who are out to damage or tamper with signs to think about what they’re doing.

“You’re not helping the election,” she says. “I hope that this will stop and I hope the political leaders will come out and say to stop doing this kind of destruction, too.”

A spokesperson from the United Conservative Party says they have also received reports of damaged signs in the city.

“We have seen and experienced a little damage of signage in the first week of the campaign,” reads a statement from Cypress-Medicine Hat candidate Justin Wright. “I am thankful for the hard work of our volunteers who have replaced and set back up the signage as quickly as possible. I am incredibly thankful for the strong team of volunteers who have taken this challenge in stride. This behaviour is unacceptable and I ask everyone to respect all party signs.”