British Columbia

City hall statue of Capt. George Vancouver vandalized

Contractors were seen cleaning blue and grey paint off the bronze figure of the English explorer who sailed into Burrard Inlet in 1792.

Blue and grey paint was thrown on the life-size bronze statue of the English explorer overnight

The Capt. George Vancouver statue outside of city hall is cleaned Thursday morning after being vandalized with paint. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

The statue of English explorer Capt. George Vancouver that stands outside city hall was vandalized overnight.

Thursday morning, contractors with a pressure washer were seen removing the blue and grey paint that had been thrown on the life-size bronze image.

The motivation for the vandalism is unknown. However, a number of statues depicting explorers and Confederate leaders have been pulled down or defaced in the United States recently, as Black Lives Matter protests continue.

In a statement, the City of Vancouver said it recognizes the public dialogue taking place around historic monuments in Vancouver and elsewhere.

It appears blue paint was thrown on the statue. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

The statement says a "consideration of monuments" will be part of a future review of the city's commemoration policies.

The figure of Vancouver marks his arrival in Burrard Inlet in 1792 and was commissioned for the city's 1936 golden jubilee.

It shows him holding a scroll and pointing to Vancouver harbour.

Vancouver was a representative of King George III of England.