Toronto police are investigating after the cenotaph at Old City Hall was vandalized one day after Remembrance Day.
The words “Ye broke faith with us” were spray-painted across the front and side of the monument, located at Bay and Queen streets, sometime Tuesday morning, according to police.
The phrase appears to reference the line, “If ye break faith with us who die,” in the last stanza of John McCrae’s poem, “In Flanders Fields.”
Officers attended the scene around 7 a.m. found blue spray paint at the base of the cenotaph.
A Remembrance Day ceremony was held on Monday at the cenotaph, where hundreds of people were in attendance to honour fallen soldiers.
As of Tuesday morning, wreaths and flags from the ceremony still remained outside the structure and the building where the vandalism occurred.
Mayor John Tory told media while visiting the site, that “it’s disgraceful and unacceptable that someone would deface a public monument.”
“There’s never any excuse for this kind of vandalism,” Tory said.
“Sometimes it often trespasses to anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and things like that, and in this city, there’s just never any excuse. There are other ways to express to your views.”
Premier Doug Ford wrote on Twitter that the incident is “disgusting” to see the monument dedicated to veterans be “disrespected by this shameful act of vandalism.”
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) told Global News they are reaching out to city officials to see if they can help in any way.
“VAC condemns this and all reprehensible acts of vandalism against cenotaphs, war memorials and other sacred landmarks,” a statement read.
“These are important symbols in our communities which honour those who served Canada in times of war, military conflict and peace, and help to keep the memory of their achievements and sacrifices alive for all Canadians.”
The centograph has since been cleaned.
Police told Global News that if the suspect is found, charges of mischief could be laid with the potential of more severe offences if warranted.
The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with surveillance or dash cam footage in the area are asked to call police.
–With files from Jamie Mauracher
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