Skip to content

Bigger campaign signs vandalized in broad daylight

Citing a nasty political climate rife with misinformation, Mayor Brian Bigger said some people have become energized enough to lash out against politicians in inappropriate ways

Two campaign signs were vandalized in broad daylight in Lively, while another candidate’s Minnow Lake-area signs were allegedly stolen and placed in locations contrary to a city bylaw. 

Taken aback by the vandalization of his signs with black spray paint during the mid-afternoon next to heavy traffic, Mayor Brian Bigger said, “they just don’t care.“

Bigger is offering a $100 reward for anyone able to help identify the person responsible for the incident in Lively, which took place at approximately 4 p.m. on Aug. 26. Someone sent a photograph of the incident to Bigger, revealing a white or grey truck parked next to a man wearing a green shirt and orange pants allegedly spray-painting a sign.

After replacing the signs, Bigger said they were vandalized again the following day.

“I’ll bet you if I went out there right now, having just repaired them again a couple of days ago, they’d be damaged again,” he told Sudbury.com on Thursday, adding that at $250 a piece, it has been an expensive problem. 

Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc said he has also experienced issues with his signs, including several that have been stolen and relocated to places they are not allowed.

Per a city bylaw, campaign signs are not allowed on public land, including the city’s right of way. Although Leduc admits to mistakenly planting four signs a foot too close to the curb, he denies taping a campaign sign to a fire hydrant. 

An image of one of his campaign signs taped to a fire hydrant made the rounds on social media recently, which Leduc said was done by someone out to make him look bad. The sign's placement was reported to city bylaw officers and has since been removed.

“That’s not my style,” he said. “I would never tape something to a fire hydrant, because that could cost somebody’s life.”

Bigger said there’s a precedent for people planting campaign signs in inappropriate locations to make candidates look bad, and that it happened to him during his first campaign. 

At the time, he said someone came into his campaign office claiming to be a supporter of his, and was handed a couple-hundred signs by volunteers to distribute through the city.

“He put them in every illegal spot possible,” Bigger relayed.

As for the signs Leduc mistakenly placed too close to the curb, the councillor said city bylaw was “a pleasure to work with” and there was a speedy resolve.

Acting manager for corporate security and bylaw services Melissa Laalo told Sudbury.com they have received 14 complaints in relation to candidates’ campaign signs as of Thursday, and that they’ve all been resolved quickly.

“Generally, it’s mistakes regarding placement of the signs – too close to the road,” she said. “For the average person, they might not know where the lot line is unless they have a fence.”

All candidates have received a rundown of campaign rules from the city bylaw department.

Two new sign rules have been introduced since the 2018 municipal election, Laalo said, including a size limit of 1.5 square metres and they not be higher than two metres.

“No matter what format it is, whether it be cloth, banner or ground sign it has to conform to the height and size maximum,” she said. 

As for vandalization, she said candidates should report problems to city bylaw officers.

A Sudbury Police Service spokesperson clarified that vandalizing signs could result in a charge of Mischief, whose penalty ranges from restitution to a maximum of two years in prison. Stolen signs might include a charge of Theft Under $5,000 and the same penalty range. 

The criminal actions of some people against city council and political campaigns can be linked to negative social media campaigns “that have a total disregard for the truth,” Bigger said. “They activate these people and take advantage of them, really.”

“We have small groups who are really kind of bullying and terrorizing so many people,” Bigger added. ”I’ve seen seniors in tears believing some of the misinformation put out there, being so upset, and it’s wrong.”

Bigger faced alleged harassment in November, when a man reportedly banged on the front door of his private residence, yelling and videotaping his home. The case is currently going through the court system.

With various falsehoods spread on both sides of the Kingsway Entertainment District (a now-cancelled arena/events centre) debate and other municipal issues in recent months, it has been long anticipated misinformation on social media would be a hurdle this election cycle.

Various anti-city council signs were also posted to lamp posts downtown earlier this year, including one featuring the false statement: “Sudbury the ‘highest’ taxes in Ontario it’s a rip off.” 

Misinformation is fuelling people to do brazen things, Bigger said – including vandalizing campaign signs off a busy highway in broad daylight. 

“If you’re an elected official representing the citizens, serving the community, you’re fair game and you should just accept it,” he said of some people’s mentality. “It’s an interesting perspective.”

Regardless of what happens, Bigger said he’s still planning a positive campaign.

“These people all want to pull people down to their own level,” he said. “I’m excited about the election and very positive.”

Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.


Comments

Verified reader

If you would like to apply to become a verified commenter, please fill out this form.




Tyler Clarke

About the Author: Tyler Clarke

Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
Read more