Terry Fox statue defaced; police looking for tips

Police are investigating mischief after someone poured a thick, sticky substance over the statue depicting young Terry Fox in the 2100-block of Wilson Avenue.

There is no structural damage but the substance coated part of the head and chest of the bronze Gateway of Giants sculpture. Police suspect the vandalism occurred between midnight Friday and 7 a.m. Saturday.

“Terry is a national hero, and the damage caused to this statue is both upsetting and disrespectful to the legacy he created,” stated Coquitlam RCMP media relations officer Sgt Adriana O’Malley in a press release.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Coquitlam RCMP.

City staff are testing solvents on an inconspicuous area of the sculpture to: “identify the most effective and gentle approach,” explained Port Coquitlam’s manager of cultural development Carrie Nimmo. Testing is slated to be finished by the end of the week.

Port Coquitlam staff are also communicating with the sculptor, Casto Solano to make sure the statue isn’t harmed.

“We recognize how upsetting this incident is for the community and want to assure residents that we are prioritizing the careful and respectful removal of the substance so the sculpture can be restored to its original condition as quickly as possible,” Nimmo stated.

Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West echoed the call to hold the guilty party responsible.

“When I first saw it, I felt sick to my stomach,” he said. “This wasn’t just any statue, this is a statue of our hometown hero.”

West reiterated that Fox stood for kindness, perseverance, and service to others.

“Whoever did this may have damaged a statue, but they have not damaged Terry’s legacy,” he said.

Discussing the sculpture before its 2025 unveiling, Solano explained that the work wasn’t meant to highlight a moment but to pay tribute to a life.

“I knew that this artwork needed to traverse time; connecting Terry’s youth in Port Coquitlam with his later life and achievements, and so the concept of dual sculptures, bridging this time in physical space, crystalized very quickly,” Solano explained.

Terry’s niece Kirsten Fox expressed her appreciation for the sculpture at the time.

“This new statue of a young Terry is especially meaningful, as it reflects his roots and the early years that helped shape his determination and values,” she stated.