Federal election signs have become targets for vandals.
On Tuesday Red Deer RCMP said sign vandalism has not yet been reported.
But a few candidates signs along Ross Street and 67th Street were noticeably damaged and knocked down recently.
Among the signs damaged on Ross Street was one for Red Deer-Lacombe incumbent Blaine Calkins, which has already been replaced.
The Conservative candidate said the vandalism is disappointing.
“Campaigns are fueled by volunteers and it’s their hard work being destroyed,” said Calkins in a statement.
“Everyone should be able to fully participate in our democracy without fear and without threat to ourselves or our property. Being able to talk about the issues that are important and being able to show our support and to let people know who is running for office is a fundamental tenant and I strongly discourage people, no matter how strongly they feel, from interfering in that process. Those feelings can be expressed with a ballot on Election Day.”
Candidates for the People’s Party of Canada in both Red Deer- Lacombe and Red Deer-Mountain View said they have had signs vandalized as well.
In a statement, Kelly Lorencz, PPC candidate for Red Deer-Mountain View said it was disappointing to see.
“Both Megan Lim and myself have seen our signs vandalized and torn down. It’s very disheartening. Our volunteers put countless hours into delivering these signs on their own time,” Lorencz said.
“It’s disrespectful to the democratic process, to our volunteers, and to our supporters, and we hope that people stop this. We make sure that our campaign team members put up fallen or torn down signs from other candidates if we see them on the ground. We don’t have to agree, but we do need to respect one another.”
Election day is Sept. 20.