NEWS

Hundreds of Oliver signs stolen, campaign says

Hundreds of Joe Oliver’s campaign signs have been stolen, burned or otherwise damaged, the Eglinton-Lawrence Conservative candidate’s staff says.

Oliver spokesperson Patricia Best estimated between 400 and 500 campaign signs, worth $3,200 to $4,000, were stolen or severely damaged on the night of Sept. 14.

Constituents quickly reported the damage, which ranged from Avenue Road to Bathurst Street, and from Eglinton Avenue West to Lawrence Avenue West, she said. One resident emailed to say every sign on Hillhurst Avenue had been taken or slashed.

Joe Oliver broken campaign signs (3)“Our campaign will not be intimidated by vandals and arsonists,” Oliver’s campaign manager, Dan Miles, said in an emailed statement. “On the plus side, we have been swamped with calls and emails of support from the residents of Eglinton-Lawrence, who have been outraged by these actions and have made a point of requesting a replacement sign immediately.”

The thefts represent the second reported act of vandalism faced by the campaign. In August, roughly half a dozen large signs with wooden stakes were found burned, after being stolen from near the Lawrence Avenue West and Allen Road area.