Frank L. Bowser staff and students and many Riverview residents are heartbroken.
The Rebecca Schofield All World Super Park has been vandalized again..
Parent Lara Lavoie was shocked at what was painted, “We walked out and saw the swastikas. My son is in grade five, so he’s aware of what that symbol represents, and he was really upset and confused about why somebody had done that to his park. So it was very upsetting.”
Lavoie says this isn’t just a school park, it’s a community park and it represents an individual who promoted kindness to each other. So, she says this type of graffiti is just heartbreaking.
She adds, there are cameras at the park, which the School District has access to, but they can’t release photos due to privacy.
In a letter to parents and students at Frank L. Bowser, Anglophone East School District Superintendent Randolph MacLEAN states they are working with the Town and the RCMP to review footage from over the weekend.
Lavoie says there are funds available for extra security of the park, but they’ve been waiting for approval from the District. She adds those funds would allow security to patrol the the park several times a night, “When we first built the park, there was a major fundraising campaign and the chunk of that money was to go towards upkeep of the park.”
The park was off limits to the kids this morning, while the graffiti was cleaned off, and Lavoie by around 11:30am, most of it was gone.
“Most of the graffiti is down except for the one which I found the most heartbreaking which is on the rock that has the the name of the park on it. There is a swastika over that and that one needs a special equipment to clean so that’s the only one that hasn’t cleaned yet,” Lavoie says
She adds the Town Councillor for the Ward John Coughlin reached out to her earlier today, to make sure something was being done, “But it’s not a Town issue, it’s a District issue.”
“My dad helped build that park. He helped build the original Park. I take great pride in that park and the message that Becca had and it’s just so heartbreaking,” Lavoie expressed.
A letter from Superintendent Randolph MacLEAN states the District is working with the Town and RCMP to review security footage.
He adds the district is disheartened to see the hateful symbols and vulgar language.
(Photo: submitted by Anglophone East)
Rebecca Schofield’s parents Darren and Anne have also released a statement expressing their sadness over the graffiti, “We are extremely saddened and disgusted that a park built by and for the community in honour of Becca and her mission to spread kindness has been vandalized with hate symbols. The Schofield family condemns antisemitism, hate and discrimination in all its forms and we hopevthe culprit will come forward.”
They also thanked the School District and school staff for their quick actions in covering the vandalism and working to remove it.
