A sign along the Island Hwy. promoting the Island Roots Farmers' Market has been the target of vandalism twice since being installed at the start of November. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

senseless vandalism

‘To say the least, it’s disappointing:’ repeat damage done to Nanaimo market sign

Nov 17, 2024 | 9:13 AM

NANAIMO — The manager of a year-round farmers market in the city has been left scratching her head after two instances of seemingly senseless vandalism.

After years of work, planning and government process, signs were erected on Hwy. 19A promoting the Island Roots Farmers’ Market, held Wednesday’s at Beban Park’s Centennial Building.

Market manager Michele Greene told NanaimoNewsNOW said one of the signs opposite Country Club Centre was installed on Friday, Nov. 1 but when she drove past four days later it was nowhere to be seen, which prompted Greene to ask the installer where it went.

“They found it…it had been pulled out of the ground. It had been concreted into the ground, someone pulled it out of the ground and dragged it quite a ways away from its location and left it there. Thankfully there was no damage to the sign itself.”

Greene said the installer repeated their work, adding additional weight to the sign’s foundation, on Wednesday, Nov. 6.

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This time the sign lasted around seven days before it was damaged again, this time the post was bent.

“As if somebody had hit it from behind, which is contrary to the flow of traffic…leaning again and not very visible.”

The sign sits well back of the flow of traffic, even further back than a nearby lamp standard. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Greene was at a loss as to why someone would vandalize a sign promoting a local farmers market, not once but apparently twice.

The sign itself sits well back from the roadway, approximately six feet from the road’s edge and 10 feet from the outside of the travel lane.

“To say the least it’s disappointing. I was so excited, this has been a really long term goal of mine, I’ve been at the market for eight years and it’s been in the works for that long. We had to wait until we had a set location, set times and I waited for the last AGM to make sure nothing had changed.”

Greene said the pair of signs cost the market around $2,000 to be made and fully installed.

The situation was reported to Nanaimo RCMP, and anyone with further information on the apparent vandal is asked to contact the detachment at 250 754 2345, quoting file number 2024-800312.

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