Fort Smith (Aug 21/06) -Fort Smith's new bison statue, which replaced one destroyed by vandals a year ago, has fallen victim to wanton destruction again.

Erected in late July in front of the rec centre, the replacement statue was pulled from its pedestal and damaged beyond repair in the early morning hours of Aug. 13.

Mayor Peter Martselos examined Fort Smith's vandalized buffalo statue, now laying in the municipal yard. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Mayor Peter Martselos is "devastated" by the vandalism, and said he never expected the statue to be destroyed a second time. "I feel very bad about it."

As of last week, Sgt. Craig Seafoot of the Fort Smith RCMP said suspects have been identified and charges are pending.

Martselos noted the destruction of the first statue was caused by visitors to the community and he believed it was a one-time incident. Fort Smith residents are shocked the statue was destroyed a second time, he added. "People can't believe it."

One of them is Mike Keizer, the chair of the Fort Smith Tourism Advisory Board.

"I don't know what descriptor to use - incensed, disgusted, disappointed, all of the above," he said. Keizer noted it was nice when the community got the first statue, and he was amazed when it got a second one. "I don't know if we'll ever get a third."

The life-sized fibreglass statue was donated to the community by an anonymous company in Edmonton.

It was identical, except darker, to the original statue purchased in 2002 for about $10,000 by the town, with the support of business and government.

Despite the latest vandalism, Martselos said he hasn't given up the idea and hoped another statue might be donated to the town. Both statues were among 30 built for the 2001 World Track and Field Championships in Edmonton.

The first statue was destroyed by vandals in August of last year. Charges against the culprits - underage members of a Yellowknife rock group in town to perform at the South Slave Friendship Festival - were dealt with outside of the courts.

The mayor is at a loss to explain the upsurge in vandalism or who may be responsible. The town is considering new security measures for municipal property, such as improving lighting, installing video surveillance cameras and hiring a community watchman.