Chilliwack City Council condemns vandalism of downtown mural depicting a Stó:lō woman

CHILLIWACK – Chilliwack City Council released a statement Wednesday afternoon condemning the the vandalism of a downtown mural depicting a Stó:lō woman.

The joint statement signed by all six councillors and Mayor Popove says they were disheartened to hear about the vandalism which fell on the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

“We were deeply saddened to hear about this act of vandalism. Vandalism is never acceptable, and the result has hurt many in our community,” the statement said. “Each year, on May 5, we remember and honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people. Indigenous women and girls are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence compared to other groups of people in Canada. Inez is an Indigenous woman and a role model in the community, making this act of vandalism, and the day it occurred, particularly hurtful. We hope that whoever did this seeks out support for themselves in the right way.”

On the upside, there’s been a resounding show of support following the act of vandalism. A GoFundMe has been launched to support artist Kevin Ledo and his efforts to restore the mural to its original beauty.