'Incredibly disappointing': Liberal candidate finds election signs vandalized in Scarborough

A Liberal candidate in the provincial election says she was shocked to find multiple election signs defaced with hateful language in Scarborough on Sunday.

The signs, which belong to Scarborough-Guildwood Liberal candidate Mitzie Hunter, were discovered in the area of Ellesmere and Markham roads.

Hunter told CBC News her campaign team was made aware of the signs Sunday by a resident in the area. She said 16 signs were defaced with hateful language. 

"We strongly condemn [this] action. That's not what we're about in Scarborough," Hunter said. "I've been the MPP for nine years and this has never happened before ... frankly it is disgusting."

Hunter said she was on her way to a long-term care home when she stopped to look at the signs.

"What was conveyed on the signs ... Nazi, fascist and even one that said blackface, that was incredibly disappointing for me personally to see that, having grown up in this community, [having] always felt like I belonged here."

Allan Lacosse was driving in the area with his brother when he noticed the signs.

Lacosse said he was surprised to see the signs defaced with hate graffiti and called Hunter's office to let them know.

"It was a little disturbing to see first thing in the morning ... in all my years in the city of Toronto I've never seen that before."

Lacosse said there were approximately 25 campaign signs in the area belonging to candidates from the Liberal, PC and NDP parties but only the Liberal candidate's signs were defaced.

He says the signs were taken down several hours after.

Hunter says police are taking the incident "very seriously" and that it would not affect her re-election campaign.

"We want to be a positive campaign and this is not going to set us off our game at all," Hunter said.