Red paint found on Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Park
Posted Jun 29, 2023 01:46:38 PM.
The Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Park, also known as Willow River Park has once again been covered in red paint.
The paint was visible on the statue Thursday morning.
This comes just days before Canada Day. It is unclear when the statue was covered in paint.
The words “Theft”, “Genocides”, “Famines” and “Wars” were all visible on the statue. The signs outlining the history of Queen Victoria were also covered in red paint.
The Queen Victoria statue in Victoria Park has been covered in red paint once again. It’s not clear when this incident happened. The words “Genocides”, “Famines” and “Wars” are visible on the statue. @CityNewsKIT pic.twitter.com/AwVavgRW07
— James Scott (@JamesScottRadio) June 29, 2023
A spokesperson with the City of Kitchener said in an email statement that the city is aware of the red paint on the statue.
“The City is aware of the paint that has been applied to the statue. It will be cleaned within a few days per the City’s normal practice. The cost of cleaning the paint from the statue is approximately $3,000.”
The city stated that police are aware of the paint on the statue. CityNews Kitchener has reached out for confirmation on whether or not they have launched an investigation.
The spokesperson confirmed with CityNews Kitchener that community engagement of what to do with the Queen Victoria statue is still on pause and will continue into 2024.
“Phase 2 of community engagement and dialogue about the Queen Victoria statue will continue into 2024. Through a community-led approach, the process will prioritize the voices of local Indigenous communities and those harmed by colonialism.”
In 2022, red paint was doused on the statue several times. The controversial statue has been vandalized repeatedly in the last two years.
