Logs and rocks spray painted with graffiti on beloved Vancouver beach

Several logs and rocks have been vandalized with graffiti along a stretch of beach in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood.

Photos submitted to CTV News Vancouver on Sunday show the natural scenery plastered with messages ranging from profanities to “I love you” and “I’m so happy you are here with me.”

On one rock, the initials ‘K’ and ‘A’ are circled in a heart, while another displays the names Karen and Andy.

The targeted land is just west of Kitsilano Beach, past the yacht club and near a point accessible by stairs.

CTV News contacted the Vancouver Park Board on Monday morning to inquire whether staff are aware of the graffiti.

 

A spokesperson for the city confirmed the area was part of Crown land and not part of the park board’s jurisdiction. 

“Always disappointing to see natural areas defaced like this,” wrote the spokesperson by email.

Similar declarations of love by way of vandalism have been the source of public outrage in recent weeks, after two tourists were caught on video defacing the Colosseum in Rome.

The first incident happened in late June and involved a 27-year-old man carving the name of his apparent love interest in the walls of the nearly 2,000-year-old monument. In mid-July, another tourist—this time a teenager—was caught carving the letter “N” into another wall of the iconic structure.

Both incidents are under investigation. According to reports by Italian media, the tourists could be fined tens of thousands of dollars and be imprisoned for up to five years.

In Vancouver, the minimum fine and penalty for anyone doing unauthorized graffiti is $500 for each offence under the city’s by-law.

CTV News has reached out to the B.C. government for more details on the province’s procedure for graffiti removal. This story will be updated if a response is received.