Image Credit: Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers
November 06, 2020 - 9:17 AM
A Kelowna Remembrance Day commemoration to honour the lives of the Canadian Armed Forces personnel who lost their lives in the service of their country was vandalized early yesterday morning.
During the early morning hours of Thursday, Nov. 5, vandals entered City Park and caused damage to the Field of Crosses, according to a Central Okanagan Crime Stoppers Facebook post.
The memorial display was set up to honour the veterans who lost their lives while serving Canada through two World Wars, the Korean and Afghanistan wars and peace keeping missions, according to Crime Stoppers.
To mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 1945, the Rotary Club of Kelowna, Okanagan Military Museum Society, the City of Kelowna, the British Columbia Dragoons, Royal Canadian Legion and local Army, Sea, and Air Cadets, plus local volunteers have worked together to plan the special event for the week leading up to Remembrance Day. For the third year, the Field of Crosses has displayed 240 white crosses installed in City Park, close to the Kelowna Cenotaph. This project creates a visual remembrance for each of the names inscribed on the Kelowna Cenotaph.
READ MORE: Field of Crosses returns to Kelowna Cenotaph
The vandals pulled several crosses out of the ground and tore up some of the Canadian flags attached to the crosses, according to Crime Stoppers.
"This disgraceful vandalism act to the Field of Crosses in Kelowna City Park disrespects our fallen soldiers and their families - shame," wrote Kelowna-Lake Country MP Tracy Gray said on Facebook.
If you know who is responsible for this vandalism contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300. If you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip online here. Crime Stoppers pays a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for this vandalism. The police file is listed as 2020-68784.
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