Calgary police are investigating after two byelection signs belonging to Liberal candidate Haley Brown were set on fire in the riding of Calgary-Midnapore on Thursday morning.
Police said the first fire was found on Parkland Boulevard and Canyon Meadows Drive S.E. at around 5:20 a.m. About 20 minutes later, a second sign was found on fire on Bow Bottom Trail and Canyon Meadows Drive S.E.
Brown’s campaign said this is not the first time her signs have been defaced. During the 2015 general election, a number of campaign placards were damaged, and one was split in half then set ablaze along a roadside.
“Respectful and clean campaigning is vital to our democracy,” Brown said in a Thursday statement.
“We regret that anyone would intentionally damage signs and potentially put public safety at risk in doing so, and I am confident that the authorities will investigate these incidents carefully.”
Arson investigators are also looking into two dumpster fires along Bannister Road S.E. which were set on Thursday morning. Police said it’s not known if all four fires are connected.
Federal byelections will be held in the ridings of Calgary-Midnapore and Calgary-Heritage on April 3.
With files from Dallas Flexhaug and News Talk 770’s John Himpe