'Deliberate' sign thefts undermine election process, candidates say

Andrew Lupton · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Returning location from an evening locomotion successful London's Northridge neighbourhood earlier this month, Teagan Krziyzek was shocked to witnesser the theft of an predetermination tract sign. 

It was conscionable aft 10:30 p.m. and a car buzzed past him connected Tweed Crescent earlier coming to a abrupt halt successful beforehand of a neighbour's house. A passenger jumped retired and yanked a sign for London Centre Conservative campaigner Stephen Gallant retired of the lawn. 

"Within seconds the feline had grabbed the sign, it was successful the trunk and gone," said Krziyzek. 

"I truly don't similar seeing that," said Krziyzek. "We request to beryllium capable to dependable our opinions. Our state is astatine hazard close now. Left oregon right, we person to fight." 

While motion vandalism and theft is reasonably communal during predetermination campaigns, immoderate candidates and their run workers who spoke to CBC News accidental motion the occupation is noticeably worse this clip around. Also, immoderate assertion the thefts look to beryllium organized and targeted — and not the effect of run-of-the mill, aimless acts of vandalism. 

Defacing, altering, oregon stealing a run motion is punishable nether the national Elections Act with anyone convicted liable for fines up to $5,000 and six months successful jail. There are besides smaller fines for little superior offences.  

Samuel Gallant, who is managing his begetter and Conservative campaigner Stephen Gallant's run successful the riding of London Centre, said galore supporters person been reporting motion thefts. 

"It's been precise targeted and precise organized," said Gallant. "It pushes it beyond rampant vandalism and into thing that appears to beryllium a small much insidious. I cognize each the candidates person experienced immoderate grade of this." 

Thefts look 'very deliberate'

Small lawns signs tin rapidly beryllium replaced but the Gallant run has mislaid 50 of the larger and overmuch much costly roadside signs with voting time present conscionable 5 days away. 

"It seems precise deliberate, and it's connected a standard that we didn't spot successful 2021," said Gallant. "It's not even close." 

It's besides not lone the Conservatives who've been targeted. In the aforesaid northbound London subdivision where Krziyzek saw the Conservative motion being taken, Sue Philmore had her tract motion showing enactment for Liberal campaigner Peter Fragiskatos stolen overnight. 

London Police Service said each theft is treated arsenic a abstracted incidental and that they can't find whether they're expanding successful fig without responding to an entree to accusation request, a process that tin instrumentality months. 

Liberal signs successful Port Burwell vanish overnight

David Goodwin, the Liberal campaigner moving successful the riding of Elgin–St. Thomas–London South, posted astir the motion theft occupation connected Facebook.

"[Sign thefts] are astatine a standard that I haven't seen before," said Goodwin, who has worked arsenic a unpaid successful 3 erstwhile campaigns earlier becoming a first-time candidate in this election.  

In 1 incident, astir each Goodwin's roadside signs successful the assemblage of Port Burwell were taken overnight. Goodwin said akin wide thefts of his signs person happened successful Aylmer, St. Thomas and different areas of the riding. 

Many of the ample roadworthy signs taken are supported by buried alloy posts, and would necessitate peculiar cutting tools to region truthful quickly. 

Andrew Lawton, Goodwin's Conservative hostile successful Elgin–St. Thomas–London South, said successful an email to CBC News he's had "numerous instances" of his run signs being stolen oregon vandalized. 

"It's volunteers who walk a large woody of clip installing, replacing, and repairing signs truthful it's regrettable that immoderate radical edifice to vandalism and theft due to the fact that of governmental disagreements," helium said.

Stiff fines for stealing signs

Criminal charges for stealing oregon wrecking signs could effect successful theft oregon mischief charges with fines up to $5,000, according to London police. 

Goodwin hopes the motion theft and harm stops happening to each candidates. He said run signs are a cardinal mode for candidates to get their connection retired and fto voters cognize an predetermination is underway.

"It's a cornerstone of elections that you don't interaction run signs ever," helium said.