Dozens of election signs found sliced, vandalized in Toronto’s west end

ximum penalty under the Act for such vandalism is a fine of less than $5,000 or imprisonment lasting not more than six months. 20250415-kevin-final Perth Avenue resident Kevin Putnam on Apr. 14 in front of his lawn sign, which was cut in half earlier this week. Putnam taped his sign back together using clear tape. Gabe Oatley/TorontoToday Is the sign damage politically motivated? Witnessing the vandalism to his signs, Bader told TorontoToday he first wondered whether the individual doing the damage was anti-NDP. Though polls suggest party has seen its support crater nationwide, in Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park where Bader lives, NDP candidate Bhutila Karpoche may have strong local support. Bader said he wondered whether the perpetrator was angry with him for “splitting the vote” — taking potential votes away from local Liberal candidate Karim Bardeesy. He also initially speculated that perhaps the vandal might have been a Conservative voter looking to trash the NDP writ-large. That speculation was curbed, however, by chatter about election sign damage in a neighbourhood Facebook group. In addition to multiple reports of NDP and Liberal signs being slashed, a member of the Facebook group also reported that their sign promoting the West End Phoenix, a local newspaper, had recently been damaged. Bader said a neighbour’s “Hate has no home here” sign was also recently slashed. With the range of signs being vandalized, the resident speculated the sign slasher might not have a political axe to grind. However, local resident Kaley Keefe noticed only some of her signs were seemingly targeted. Last Sunday or Monday, Keefe, a resident of Hugo Avenue near Dupont Street and Symington Avenue, had her NDP sign slashed while a second sign of hers showing support for harm reduction practices remained untouched. 20250415-wepsign Bloordale resident Joshua Malinsky’s West End Phoenix sign was cut in half at some point between Sun. April 14 and Mon. April 15, 2025. Gabe Oatley/TorontoToday Hundreds of dollars in damage to NDP si