TORONTO -- A statue of former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau has been defaced once again with spray paint in Vaughan, Ont.
The statue, located at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park near Clark Avenue and Bathurst Street, was the subject of an investigation in June when someone covered it in black paint.
York Regional Police said that this time they received a call shortly before 11 a.m. on Sunday about a report of vandalism in the park.
“When officers arrived they found that the statue had been vandalized with white paint,” police said on Monday morning.
Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua published a statement on Twitter on Sunday condemning the “acts of vandalism.”
“I am disappointed to learn acts of vandalism are taking place in our city as these actions do not reflect the values Vaughan stands for,” he said.
“The former prime minister created opportunities for Canadians and newcomers so that we may all live peacefully and free from discrimination.”
He also wants to recognize York Regional Police for “taking immediate action and for launching an investigation.”
Police are asking for witnesses or anyone with related video camera footage to contact police.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the son of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, has not officially commented on the incident.
Area resident Noah Litvak said seeing the statue defaced makes him feel upset and saddened.
“It just makes me feel kind of sad for our neighbourhood and also made me really want to see what we can do to help get this cleaned up and hopefully prevent this kind of stuff from happening again,” he said.
-- With files from CTV News Toronto's Katherine DeClerq
