The shattered pieces of a granite cross broken off a cenotaph in Fredericton have been removed from the site so Remembrance Day ceremonies can go ahead as planned.
The splintered chunks of granite were loaded onto a flatbed truck Tuesday and taken to storage until the cross can be repaired.
Officials believe vandals tore down the cross at the city's war memorial some time over the weekend, smashing it to pieces.
Local veterans were shocked by the destruction, particularly because it occurred days before Canadians will gather across the country to honour their war dead.
"So many things went through my head that it put me right almost on my knees," one veteran told CTV Atlantic. "I looked at it and said, 'No, that's not true, it can't be, especially two days before Remembrance Day.'"
Another veteran said he believes vandals either tied the two-metre cross to a rope and pulled it down using the force of a truck, or several people "got behind it and gave it an awful good push."
Police are studying surveillance video from the site in an attempt to identify suspects.
Local official Harold Boone said the city will try to repair the cross by spring. Repairs will likely cost several thousand dollars.
With a report from CTV Atlantic and files from The Canadian Press
