Kingston’s Spirit of Sir John A. locomotive vandalized

The locomotive in Kingston’s Confederation Park, dubbed the Spirit of Sir John A., was vandalized over the weekend.

Blue paint was sprayed on the tourist attraction, reading: “When justice fails, block the rails. #shutdowncanada.”

Although it is still unclear what the message means, that hashtag has been used in support of anti-pipeline protesters fighting against a natural gas pipeline slated to run through Wet’suwet’en First Nation territory in northern British Columbia.

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So far, no one has taken responsibility for the vandalism, but it happened sometime following the anniversary of Sir John A. Macdonald’s birthday on Jan. 11.

“This happened sometime over the weekend, and crews are working to try and repair the damage,” said Jen Campbell, manager of cultural heritage with the City of Kingston.

Chris Whyman with Tourism Kingston says it was an upsetting sight to take in first thing Monday morning.

“It’s just a shame when things like that happen. You know, I think the citizens are upset about it as well,” he said.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "It's just a shame when things like that happen. You know, I think the citizens are upset about it as well," he said.

City crews are working to assess the damage and see how it can be fixed. They will have to determine what kind of paint was used to see how it can be removed. For the time being, a barricade has been set up in front of the train until crews can get to work. Campbell says how the crews repair the locomotive will depend on the damage to the surface.

“The question is if the underlying paint has been damaged in any way,” said Campbell. “We may have to apply a new clear coat and touch-up paint.”

The Spirit of Sir John A. hit its 100th anniversary back in 2013, when it underwent an extensive restoration.

WATCH: No vandalism done to Sir John A. Macdonald’s statue in Kingston this year

0:52 So far, no vandalism done to Sir John A. Macdonald’s statue in Kingston this year

“The train itself was actually here, built in Kingston, which is the unique part about it,” said Whyman. “Just down the waterfront, the Locomotive Works, that’s where Engine 1095 rolled off the the assembly line in 1913.”

Officials say that although it is unfortunate  this piece of history has been defaced, they do believe they can get it back to its original glory.

—With files from Alexandra Mazur