Vancouver police are investigating after the Olympic cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza was targeted by vandals on the weekend.
The cauldron — one of downtown Vancouver’s well-known landmarks — was reported damaged to Vancouver Police Saturday morning.
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The vandalism was intentionally committed by two unidentified suspects earlier than morning, around 4:30 a.m., police said.
Photos from the scene show one of the cauldron’s distinctive frosted glass was smashed, revealing a beam and LED lights underneath.
Early estimates puts the damage in the $10,000 range.
The Olympic cauldron was first unveiled for the 2010 Winter Games’ opening ceremony at B.C. Place, with former athletes Wayne Gretzky, Steve Nash, Rick Hansen, Catriona Le May Doan and Nancy Green the last torchbearers to carry the Olympic flame into the stadium.
The cauldron was moved to its current location at Jack Poole Plaza outside the Vancouver Convention Centre after the games. It is re-lit for special occasions, including most recently in February to honour Canadian athletes participating in the Beijing Olympic Games.
The investigation is ongoing, said Vancouver Police.
More to come…
chchan@postmedia.com
twitter.com/cherylchan
