MORRISBURG – A series of campaign signs, all belonging to Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry Liberal candidate Heather Megill, were vandalized in the wake of the blackface/brownface scandal of Liberal Party of Canada leader Justin Trudeau.
On Wednesday night, Time magazine released a photo from 2001 of Trudeau, then a teacher at a private school in British Columbia, in an Arabian Nights costume with his arms and face painted brown. It was later revealed that Trudeau appeared in blackface while in a high school talent show. Then on Thursday, Global News released a video of Trudeau in blackface at an event in the late 1990’s.
The vandalized campaign signs were seen on Friday morning along County Road 2 in Morrisburg. Other signs were reported vandalized in Iroquois on Thursday. Vandalizing election signs is illegal under the Canada Election Act.
“I do find it disturbing,” Megill told The Leader. “It’s disappointing. A lot of effort goes into producing signs and so people can have access to our party’s messages and who the candidate is.”
On the Trudeau scandal, Megill said that its disappointing that it happened. “Everyone has something in their past that they are not proud of.”
She said she did not believe Trudeau was a racist or a sexist.
“He is a good man of the 21st century. I don’t believe there was ill-intent of his actions.
She said it is an education piece for others as well.
“I would take that apology and everyone learn from it and be more thoughtful about the things we say and do.”