Plea from B.C. election candidates: Stop trashing our campaign signs

The moment the writ was dropped for the Oct. 19 election, candidates all over B.C. began putting up campaign signs. By the following day, many of those signs had already been stolen or vandalized, and that’s continuing today.

“It’s disheartening for someone in their first time doing this and trying to go forward with a positive message and taking the high road and having our signs destroyed,” said John Wilson, the BC Conservative candidate in Esquimalt-Colwood.

He says his signs are constantly being defaced, and he’s found them tossed in bushes and crumpled up in garbage cans.

“Lots of donors put in money to have these signs made; everybody’s signs should be let be,” said Wilson.

Susie Chant, the NDP candidate in North Vancouver-Seymour, has also had many of her signs destroyed or removed.

“My sign team is doing daily rounds, looking at the signs and working with them and trying to bring them back up,” said Chant.

There are many theories about who’s behind the vandalism.

“It happens every election campaign," said Hamish Telford, a political science professor at the University of the Fraser Valley.

"People have their signs stolen, or vandalized in one way or another. It could, of course, be opposition camps doing this to their opponents. Or it could just be teenagers out doing what teenagers do.”

Chant suspects there is a reason campaign signs are targeted.

“I just think that sometimes people don't feel comfortable coming and talking to us, so they take out their concerns on something that is representative,“ said Chant.

The NDP and BC Conservatives don’t agree on much, but they have a united message for whoever is damaging and stealing the signs.

“Stop. Stop destroying signs, stop destroying people's property, and let the democratic process play out on Oct. 19 as it should,” said Wilson.

Chant echoes the plea for British Columbians to make their views known at the ballot box.

“Get out and vote,” she said. “Have your say about, you know, what you're looking for for the future of our province. It's your opportunity, and it's a very important opportunity to take.”