Day to love Locke Street held after vandalism spree
Laura Clementson | CBC News | Posted: March 10, 2018 8:33 PM | Last Updated: March 10, 2018
People rally in support of community after incident causes $100K damage
A week ago tonight, a mob of vandals went on a rampage in Hamilton's Kirkendall neighbourhood — causing an estimated $100,000 of damage — but this Saturday, it was about supporting the neighbourhood and loving Locke Street.
On Saturday there was a large outpouring of support for business owners impacted by the damage left behind by vandals last Saturday night — setting off fireworks, damaging vehicles and throwing rocks at store windows.
"Like everybody, I don't know what their message was or why they did what they did, but we're saying clearly is we understand how important small business is," said MPP for Hamilton Centre and Ontario NDP leader, Andrea Horwath to reporters.
Horwath dubbed Saturday as "#LoveLockeDay" when she announced last Sunday that she was calling for people to come together to support the businesses on Locke Street.
On Thursday, Hamilton city council voted to condemn the incident. Council also vowed to do whatever it could to help police lay charges.
The day kicked off at Donut Monster just after 10 a.m. The shop was hit hard in the rampage with eight of their windows getting smashed.
Both the store and its owner, Reuben Vanderkwaak, were praised throughout the community for maintaining a positive attitude after saying last week that it was "pretty devastating to walk into" the store.
Vanderkwaak says they've received an abundance of support — something he's thankful of.