WINNIPEG -- The statue of Queen Victoria in front of the Manitoba Legislative Building had white paint dumped on it overnight.
Crews could be seen cleaning the statue Wednesday morning. While the majority of the paint had been removed, some specks of paint could still be seen on the statue.
(CTV News Photo Jamie Dowsett)
In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for the province confirmed the statue had been splashed with paint on Tuesday night.
"Clean-up has been completed and the incident has been reported to police," the spokesperson said in a written statement. "Staff are unaware if this type of situation has taken place in the past, and are always looking at ways to respect the safety of people on site and ensure the safety of the site itself."
A spokesperson for Winnipeg police said they have received the report of vandalism, but had no further details to provide.
During a news conference outside the Manitoba Law Courts Wednesday morning, Manitoba Justice Minister Cliff Cullen said it was "very disturbing to see that type of vandalism.”
“I’m clearly disappointed to see that,” he said. “I know police will be investigating that, and we certainly look forward to the outcomes of their investigation, but again, it’s complete nonsense that this type of vandalism has to occur.”
(CTV News Photo Jamie Dowsett)
In recent months, statues representing historical figures have been vandalized across Canada, as protests take place over systemic racism around the world. In Canada, a statue of John A. Macdonald in Kitchener, Ont., was vandalized with red paint poured over it.
