Edward Cornwallis statue vandalized in downtown Halifax

The controversial Edward Cornwallis statue in downtown Halifax washit by vandals.

On Friday morning, passersby could see red paint splattered on the statue and its base.

Halifax has a contractor that removes graffiti, according to Tiffany Chase, a city spokeswoman. Acrew wassent out to assess the damage and by early afternoon most ofthegraffiti was removed fromthe statue.

Halifax Regional PoliceConst. DianeWoodworthsayswhoever vandalized the statuecould face a charge ofmischief if caught.

Thebronze statue of Cornwallissits inCornwallis Park in the city's south end. Itmade headlines this week afterHalifaxcouncil defeated a motion to look into renaming municipal properties honouring Cornwallis.

• Halifax's Mi'kmaq poet laureate calls council's decision on Cornwallis 'disrespectful'

Cornwallis wasa British military officer who founded Halifax in 1749 while he was governor of Nova Scotia. He also issued the so-called scalping proclamation the same year, in which he offered a cash bounty to anyone who killed a Mi'kmaq person.

Some have called for all commemorations of the man to be removed from the city. Others who oppose the movesay that's akin to rewriting history.