RCMP investigate vandalism of Cochrane's iconic Men of Vision statue

Cochrane's iconic The Men of Vision statue has been fenced off after vandals seemingly sawed into it.

The statue is of a cowboy sitting on a horse, and is located at the top of a steep hill in Cochrane Ranche.

The horse and rider are now surrounded by orange barricades after all four of the horse's legs were cut.

The damage was first noted by hikers in the area and posted to social media over the weekend.

The cuts are so deep they nearly go all the way through the legs, just above the horse's fetlocks.

The Men of Vision statue near Cochrane, Alta. fenced off after vandalism.The statue was placed in its current location in 1979 to celebrate the opening of the historic Cochrane Ranche.

The Town of Cochrane, which manages the site, advised visitors of the vandalism in a social media post.

"Due to vandalism, the Men of Vision statue will be fenced off to the public while assessments and repairs are conducted," reads the post.

"The community can still enjoy exploring Cochrane Ranche during this time."

Cochrane Mayor Jeff Genung says the vandalism is an affront to the entire community.

“For someone to damage it, it's a personal kind of attack I'd say,” said Genung.

“This is something very dear and near to everyone's heart in Cochrane. It’s an iconic emblem, a symbol for our community.”

Genung says the town plans to repair the statue and reopen the area to the public.

“Our parks department and our administration are looking into ... how we can fix the piece and put it back to its original state and return everybody's access to it, and have it remain an icon in our community for years to come.”

The town asked Cochrane bronze artist Don Begg, who owns Studio West Bronze Foundry, to assess the damage. Begg says it is repairable but the job won’t be easy.

“Bronze is not easy to weld,” said Begg.

“You would have to get a crane and a backhoe up there to dig it up so that you could get down to the posts that were down into the ground to cement it in, and then weld it all back up. Then put the post back in so that they could be mounted exactly like it was.”

Cst. Clayton Gelinas of the Cochrane RCMP says police were alerted to the vandalism on May 4.

“It's definitely vandalism for sure. Mischief is the technical charge,” said Gelinas.

“I mean, it could be theft. That would be a lot of work in my mind to get rid of. I'm not even sure how much that would weigh, it’s pretty solid. You're not throwing it in your backpack and making off. And I’m not sure where you're going to put it or store it.”

Police ask anyone who may have information about the vandalism to call the Cochrane RCMP detachment at 403-932-2211.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers.