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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Introducing peanut butter during infancy can help protect against a peanut allergy later on, new study finds
New evidence suggests that feeding children smooth peanut butter during infancy and early childhood can help reduce their risk of developing a peanut allergy even years later.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
Black bear kebabs make family sick with parasitic worms
It was supposed to be a celebration, but one family’s unique meal of black bear meat sent several members to the hospital instead.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there's a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
NEW Oilers superfan hopeful Edmonton wins so he can get his massive Stanley Cup tattoo retouched
It's been a long time coming, but one Oilers superfan is hoping this will be the year he gets to touch up his massive Stanley Cup back tattoo.
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus survives vote calling for his ouster
Greg Fergus survived a vote to oust him as House of Commons Speaker on Tuesday, but with close to half of MPs expressing a loss of confidence in him, he faces a precarious path forward in maintaining order in Parliament.
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.