Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

Today, the Honourable Julian Fantino, the Minister of Veterans Affairs, is condemning the vandalism of the Richmond Cenotaph, a monument to First World War Veterans that sits in front of City Hall in Richmond, British Columbia. The vandalism took place on Tuesday, according to police.

“Vandalizing a memorial to those who served Canada is shameful. The memories of the men and women who put their lives at risk to protect our country must be preserved, protected and honoured. I encourage any community members with information about this incident to contact local police immediately,” said Minister Fantino. “The perpetrators should face the full force of the law.”

“The department of Veterans Affairs has reached out to the City of Richmond and we will ensure that they have financial support for their restoration efforts if needed,” added Minister Fantino.

The Government of Canada runs the Cenotaph/Monument Restoration Fund in part to help communities make repairs following unfortunate incidents such as this.

“I am deeply troubled by the actions of those who would deface a memorial which represents the sacrifice of lives in service to our country,” said Alice Wong, Conservative Member of Parliament for Richmond. “Richmond has a heritage of service, and acts like this disrespect the memories of the veterans that we cherish.”

Minister Fantino also restated his support for Bill C-217, a private member’s bill from David Tilson, Conservative Member of Parliament for Dufferin-Caledon, that would see harsher punishment for anyone who vandalizes war memorials and cenotaphs. The Government of Canada hopes this legislation passes urgently, to hold criminals accountable.

“This egregious act of vandalism underscores the importance of preserving the sanctity of monuments built in memory of those who served our country. We must ensure that anyone who commits vandalism against a war memorial will face strong consequences,” said Minister Fantino.

Filed under: News