Police are investigating vandalism of a Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day display.
Oct. 15 was designated by the Province in 2002 to remember infants who died either through miscarriage, stillbirth or shortly thereafter.
Annually, the Prolife Society in Smithers marks the day by setting up a display of crosses with a banner that reads “Remembering Them” and featuring images of foetuses in various stages of development.
Betty Bandstra, one of the organizers of the memorial, said the display was set up on private property in view of the highway and was intended to be taken down the following day, but did not make it through the night.
“The display was only going to stay up for the one designated day, but regrettably, there are some members of our community who didn’t get the memo about inclusivity, civility, tolerance, free speech, and laws about private property, trespassing, vandalism,” she said in an email to the editor.
Smithers RCMP confirmed they have an open file and there may have been a witness or witnesses to the act.
Bandstra said they considered putting “Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness” on the sign, so as not to be confused with an anti-abortion message, but were concerned it would be too much to read while driving at highway speeds.
In any event, she was incensed by the vandalism.
“I am sorry that there are some who never learned the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” she wrote. “If we, as individuals, actually loved the gift of life that is given to every human being, then we would have a society that allows for grieving the loss of a child, at whatever stage in its development. And our society would celebrate the miracle of a newborn baby, whatever its circumstances of conception.”