THUNDER BAY — Less than a month after the grand opening of the new playground at Centennial Park, vandals have mutilated several of its new wood carvings.
Park staff conducting routine inspections on Wednesday morning discovered that three of the six wooden animal carvings commissioned from a local chainsaw artist had been damaged.
Supervisor of parks and open space planning Werner Schwar calls the incident "extremely disappointing."
The carvings were installed to provide a visual, tactile and educational welcoming experience for children and families visiting the park, the city says.
"The new play area has been very well-received, and when you've seen how children interact with the carvings and how much joy they bring, it's hard to imagine why anyone would do such a thing," Schwar said.
City staff are currently investigating repair options for the damaged carvings of a bear, an eagle and a crow.
The bear's snout and the birds' beaks were hacked off.
The incident has been reported to the Thunder Bay Police Service.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 623-8477 or online at www.tbdcs.ca.
