With the federal election 10 days away, the race is heating up, with candidates out campaigning fighting for a seat in Ottawa.
This election seems to have constituents fired up all across the country, and in Innisfil, there is no exception.
If you were driving through town near 20th Sideroad and Line 6 earlier this week, you may have noticed some of the candidate's election signs vandalized.
Conservative incumbent John Brassard, Liberal candidate Lisa-Marie Wilson, and NDP candidate Aleesha Gostkowski's signs were spotted with "PPC" written across them in black spraypaint near Line 6 and 20th Sideroad.
South Simcoe Police say they also received a call from an Innisfil resident on Thursday morning about one of the signs on their lawn being damaged with spray paint overnight.
The incident is currently under investigation.
Brassard says this is the third incident of vandalism his party has endured during this election campaign.
"Our response is always to just quietly replace the signs," he said.
This is Brassard's sixth election between municipal and federal government, and he says every time there have been issues with vandalism.
"There is an obvious financial cost to replacing the signs but it also takes time for our sign volunteers to find them and then replace them and I’m thankful for their efforts," he said.
Gostkowski released a statement on her social media reminding residents that vandalizing election signs is illegal.
"There are some people in our riding who do not believe that you deserve a choice; who want to erase signs of solidarity. All the person who defaced this sign has shown is that they aren't committed to democracy, that they're afraid of people in our area realizing they're not alone and don't have to settle for less," she said. "This is a time to use our vote to speak out about our frustrations, not violence and defacing signs. This isn't just an attack against me or the NDP, but rather, an attack against our democracy."
Gostkowksi's team noticed the fellow candidates of the damage on their signs and had hers replaced.
"We shouldn't be enacting violence or spreading hate towards other people in this community just for having a different opinion," she said. "The most important thing I want people to know is: use your vote, not violence and hate, to spread your message and enact change. Your voice DOES matter, but vandalism and violence is NEVER okay."
Wilson shared a statement about the vandalism on social media Friday morning.
"It is disappointing to see that signs for candidates across Barrie-Innisfil have been vandalized. No matter who you are voting for, this type of behaviour is not okay. I call on all local candidates to condemn these actions and call it out when they see it," she said.
Barrie-Innisfil's People's Party of Canada candidate Corrado Brancato condemned the vandalism on his social media pages.
"Regardless of the party sign affiliation, I would urge the community to consider these actions. Not only is this outright vandalism, but it speaks to the division being fostered by political parties," he said. "We understand that everyone is angry with the things they feel no control over. We hear you and we are listening to your feedback every day. My frustration is with you and I urge you to find ways to use those emotions to fuel a better future. Reach out to your candidate and express your concerns; we want to hear from you. Your voice matters and the choices you make matter."
He says it is the coming together of community that will heal the divide created among constituents.
Corrado also pointed out that the vandalism has not been limited to just the Conservative, Liberal, and NDP parties, but his as well. He shared with InnisfilToday a photo of one of his signs with a sticker plastered across his name.
"Instead of violently responding to a different party’s sign, please voice your concerns," he said. "We are in this together. Barrie-Innisfil has always been a welcoming place; let’s continue that tradition as we work together to decide a better future for our community."
Election day is Sept. 20
