Vandals damage Fredericton cenotaph

Members of Fredericton's Royal Canadian Legion are asking vandals who destroyed part of the city's cenotaph to turn themselves in as the organization prepares for Remembrance Day.

Jean-Guy Perrault, the president of Branch 4 of the Royal Canadian Legion, arrived at the cenotaph on Monday morning to decide where to place the crosses for Wednesday's Remembrance Day ceremony. That's when he noticed that the cenotaph had been heavily damaged in places.

"I almost fell on my knees. It hurt. Like I said … how can people sleep at night who did that — for the poor soldiers who fought for our country, for what we have that is so beautiful," Perrault said.

The cenotaph is the site of the main Remembrance Day event in the provincial capital. A three-metre-high granite cross atop the monument was toppled to the ground and smashed into pieces.

David Smith, who worked with the Royal Canadian Legion on the cenotaph project, said it will be difficult to explain to veterans when they arrive on Nov. 11 why this vandalism took place.

"I think its devastating to take into consideration the number of fallen people that we've had and this is a heck of a way to remember them and at this time of the year," Smith said.

"And to devastate this particular monument is terrible."

Perrault said while he thinks the cenotaph can be fixed, he wants the vandals to step forward.

"Please come forward, excuse yourself, the damage is done … come forward, why did you do that," Perrault said.

"Please I'm begging, come to the legion, come talk to me, please. My heart is broken, really broken."

Fredericton police are investigating.

Community support

A support group was created on the social networking site Facebook on Monday afternoon to help repair the cenotaph.

Donations are being collected to repair the monument.

"I can't believe that someone would vandalize this! I have made a donation in honour of my grandfather Warren Steen, who fought to keep our country free," writes one supporter.

"This is incomprehensible," writes another. "As a veteran I find it appalling that anyone would destroy a symbol of peace where such a high price in sacrifice has been paid and continues to be paid today."

The federal government also denounced the act in a statement.

"The senseless damage done to this memorial dishonours the memory of these brave men and women," said Greg Thompson, Minister of Veterans Affairs. "It saddens the entire community."