Bronze statue of women's rights pioneer cut off at ankles, stolen from Edmonton park

A life-sized bronze statue of Canadian women's rights pioneer Emily Murphy has been stolen from the city park that bears Murphy's name.

David Turnbull of the Edmonton Arts Council said Thursday only the shoes remain of the statue in Emily Murphy Park.

He said it appears the statue was sliced off near the ankles with a power tool earlier this week. A plaque glued to the stone platform it stood on is also missing.

Edmonton police are investigating.

Famous Five 

Murphy was Alberta's first female judge and one of the so-called Famous Five women behind the 1929 Persons Case.

The case successfully challenged laws that prevented women from being appointed to the Senate because they were not considered legal "persons."

Turnbull said Murphy was also a controversial figure as she had a history of supporting racist policies, eugenics, and once stated Indigenous people have no place in the future.

Turnbull said her statue was splashed with red paint and the word "racist" was written across it in 2020.

"There is the good and the bad," he said.

Renee Williams, executive director of the Edmonton Arts Council, said the statue was installed by a local artist in 1992 and was recently appraised at around $250,000.

She said the statue is among the nearly 300 art pieces the council takes care of across the city.

She added that while it is not uncommon for the art to get vandalized or targeted, it is disheartening.

"Public art is so remarkable," she said.

"It brings vibrancy to the city. It humanizes the built environment that we are all living in."