A controversial affordable housing project in Akinsdale was vandalized over the weekend, marking the first time that Habitat for Humanity Edmonton has experienced such an act.
A sign for Aurora Place at 70 Arlington Dr. was spray-painted with the phrases "not welcome" and "liars," with the latter placed next to a logo for the City of St. Albert.
"It's sort of a sad story that there are a few people in St. Albert that think that way," said Alfred Nikolai, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Edmonton.
"As far as I know we've never, ever had anybody vandalize any of our properties or our signs before," he said.
Habitat unveiled the new sign along with the project's name last Wednesday.
The 30-unit duplex development has generated a steady supply of neighbourhood anger since first being pitched in the fall of 2009. Residents fought to have the number of units reduced from the original 63 that were proposed.
On Monday morning Habitat took steps to cover up the sign and will replace it as soon as it can have another one made, Nikolai said.
Residents condemn act
Noemi Taller lives across the street from the property and awoke to see the vandalism on Sunday morning.
"I was thoroughly pissed off because it's disgusting," she said. "These are low income people but they're good people coming into these Habitat for Humanity projects … it just made me feel ashamed."
Taller hopes the vandalism was just young people being silly and mischievous but has doubts given the nature of the act and the target.
"It's a political gesture. It's not like they drew pictures of Frosty the Snowman or something," she said.
Area resident Dave Evans was surprised to hear about the vandalism and condemned the act even though he's been one of the most outspoken critics of the project and the process used to approve it.
"Whoever did it broke the law. That's not acceptable," Evans said. "I can certainly understand some of the frustrations, but that's not appropriate."
Evans said the vandalism won't help St. Albert's image.
"It's not going to do us any good. Now we'll be getting all the NIMBY calls and everything else that goes along with it," he said.
Mayor Nolan Crouse said he was "disappointed" with the act but didn't think it was fair to tarnish all of St. Albert because of it.
"Let's not broad-brush this that all St. Albertans are graffiti artists," he said. "This is a one-off person doing graffiti, remove it and move on."
Police seek help
St. Albert RCMP have an investigator assigned to the case but so far have no leads or suspects, said Cpl. Laurel Kading. An area resident reported hearing some noise at 1:15 a.m. Sunday but there's no proof that it was related to the vandalism, she said.
"Something like this is going to be solved with the assistance of the community. It's going to be very difficult otherwise," Kading said.
"This is the type of thing that the community needs to draw the line on and let people that do this type of thing understand that this is not going to be accepted."
Anyone with information can call the RCMP detachment at 780-458-7700 or make an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
