Prince Albert Carlton MLA Joe Hargrave said he’s disappointed with the people who recently vandalized a Saskatchewan Party billboard along Hwy 2 south of Prince Albert.
The billboard features photos of Hargrave, fellow Prince Albert MLA Alana Ross, and premier Scott Moe. On Thursday, Hargrave’s office reported to police that someone had vandalized it with black spray paint.
“I just thought, ‘how unfortunate to see that kind of vandalism and destruction of property,’” said Hargrave, who was recently sworn in as the government’s deputy speaker. “It just doesn’t make sense. I’ll know with this one I’ll report it to the police, and we’ll continue to report those things to the police.”
Hargrave said he understands not all voters share his views, which may result in some pushback. On Thursday, however, he encouraged dissatisfied residents to use legal methods to voice their disapproval.
“Everybody’s got an opinion, and I have no problem with that,” Hargrave said. “That’s part of the freedoms we have—to express your opinion—but they can phone my office. They can email my office. They can protest. They can write a letter to the editor. They can phone a news media outlet and talk to them and try to get them to do a story. There are so many things that they can do without resorting to destructive vandalism of private personal property.”
This is the second time vandals have targeted a Saskatchewan Party billboard in the area. Hargrave said their sign on the highway between Melfort and Prince Albert was also hit.
He said the vandalism is unfortunate, because it gives people the wrong impression about the City.
“It’s a prominent sign coming into our City, and I don’t think that (vandalism) is the kind of thing we want people to see … as they’re entering our City,” he explained.
Hargrave added that sign vandalism of this scale rarely happens in Prince Albert. Most residents, he said, are respectful, regardless of their political opinions.
“I’ve got to hope that whoever (has) done this can choose a more reasonable manner in which to express their opinions,” he explained. “Like I say, if that’s their opinion, then that’s their opinion.”