Vandal pushed statue of WWI soldier off cenotaph in Surrey, B.C.: police

Police in Surrey, B.C. are seeking public information as they investigate an act of vandalism at the Cloverdale Cenotaph and Museum of Surrey, in which a statue of a First World War soldier was pushed off the cenotaph.

City officials say the alleged vandalism happened on the morning of March 29 at the Heritage Campus in the Cloverdale neighbourhood.

At around 1:30 a.m., a man was allegedly seen dismantling the Kneeling in Remembrance statue, as well as damaging "various items" outside the nearby museum.

The bronze statue was installed for the 2006 Remembrance Day ceremony and weighs nearly 300 kg, according to the city. It depicts a soldier kneeling, with helmet in hand, atop a cenotaph with veterans' names inscribed on it.

"The Kneeling in Remembrance statue, which is in the City of Surrey's public art collection, is safe and is being repaired. The statue will be reinstalled in the coming weeks," said a spokesperson for the city's culture department. "The Cloverdale Legion has also been informed and advised of the repair."

Police have not released a motive for the alleged vandalism, and say they are investigating an act of mischief.

Yvon Lehoux, a 30-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy and the sergeant-at-arms for the local branch of the Canadian Legion, described the incident as a "tragedy." 

The Cloverdale branch helped raise the money for the statue in 2006, with funds also coming from a poppy drive and other local donors.

"It's unheard of as [to] why someone would do such a tragedy to a landmark and to a sacred symbol of our veterans, forefathers and mothers who sacrificed our lives so that we can have the freedom that we enjoy here in Canada," he told CBC News.

They are now looking for a suspect described as a white man who is between the ages of 30 and 35. He is described as being of a medium build, weighing 170 pounds, and having brown shoulder-length hair and a goatee.

He was also seen wearing prescription glasses and a black jacket with a blue shirt underneath, with black pants and white running shoes featuring blue laces.

Anyone with information on the man's identity, or anything to share about the case, is asked to call Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 and quote file number 23-48046, or anonymously leave a tip with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.