A local city councillor is calling the suspected arson of a historic landmark at Sandpoint Beach a ‘despicable act’.
“It was just very disappointing.... disappointing to see that this would happen to such a landmark in our community,” says ward 7 city councillor Angelo Marignani following the vandalism to the park’s totem pole.
The City of Windsor stated the totem pole was damaged by fire on Tuesday, saying arson is suspected. The incident remains under investigation.
The painted totem pole has stood at Sandpoint Beach for over 40 years. The totem pole is more than 15 metres tall and was carved from a red cedar log from British Columbia.
Marignani says the damage was to the base of the totem pole.
“Fortunately enough, the totem pole is reinforced with steel I-beams that are actually supporting that structure, and the City of Windsor is currently looking into it, and I’m sure that it will be repaired.”
He says he’s confident that it will be repaired.
“100 per cent, and we could even make it better. So, reinforce that bottom part, reconstruct the actual piece that has been removed, or the animal that has been removed from that totem pole, reconstruct that in concrete or some other sort of medium... whichever is found to be appropriate.”
This is the latest incident in a string of vandalism this year, such as underground access boxes being broken into for copper, washrooms being vandalized at Lanspeary Park, racial slurs spray-painted on a playground at Alton C. Parker Park, and even a playground fire at Parent Park, which caused $200,000 in damages.
Marignani says it’s disappointing to see the rise in crimes against property.
“We need to focus on that more with our police services and use other tools that we can have, such as cameras in particular areas, although you don’t really want to have a camera at a beach, but maybe somewhere around the beach where the properties or amenities that people use are monitored to ensure that they’re clean, safe, and not being vandalized.”
The Rotary Club of Windsor-St. Clair helped to fund the creation of the landmark.
An Indigenous carver spent more than 14 months creating the pole before it was installed at the park in 1982.