Video shows suspects smashing Olympic cauldron in downtown Vancouver
Authorities have released video of two suspects vandalizing part of the Olympic cauldron in downtown Vancouver over the weekend – an act police have described as "planned and deliberate."
The 51-second video shows the unidentified suspects approaching the cauldron in Jack Poole Plaza early Saturday morning, pulling out some kind of tool and smashing the tempered glass covering one of the pillars.
One of the suspects appears to be recording the vandalism on a cellphone or camera.
“The video of the two suspects destroying a piece of Vancouver Olympic history is maddening, " Const. Jason Doucette of the Vancouver Police Department said in a statement.
"These two will likely use the video for some sort of bragging rights, and when they do, we hope their friends will do the right thing and call police."
Authorities said the suspects spent about 12 minutes in the plaza at around 3:30 a.m., and briefly approached the cauldron before leaving the area. They returned approximately 30 minutes later to smash the glass, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
There are hundreds of glass panels covering the cauldron, each custom made by Studio 3 Glass in Port Coquitlam. Owner Nasar Niki confirmed his business will be replacing six shattered panels.
Speaking to CTV News on Monday, Niki said the vandalism had left him emotional.
"To be honest with you, it's breaking my heart," he said. "Sometimes I talk with my friends and say the cauldron is like my baby."
Niki said replicating the distinctive look of the glass will take some time, but that he's determined to make the repair look seamless.
Vancouver police asked anyone with information on the vandalism to contact the department or Crime Stoppers.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Shannon Paterson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Israel says it reopened a key Gaza crossing after a rocket attack but the UN says no aid has entered
The Israeli military said Wednesday that it has reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, a key terminal for the entry of humanitarian aid that was closed over the weekend after a Hamas rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers nearby.