New Glasgow community piano vandalized
Vandals have taken the piano out of New Glasgow, but they have not silenced the music.
New Glasgow Regional Police is investigating the vandalism of a community piano located in downtown New Glasgow over
anksgiving weekend, but now o ers are coming into the town from people o ering to replace it.
Police say it was vandalized sometime between Sunday and Tuesday morning. e piano that sat near New Glasgow’s riverfront was widely used by all ages – Pictou County residents and guests wanting to play a tune as they passed through the downtown.
Geralyn MacDonald of the Town of New Glasgow said the piano was rst placed in the gazebo in early summer after New Glasgow’s program and events manager Jake Chisholm saw it as a nice addition to the town.
“It was always used,” Chisholm said. “It was really neat to see people using it.”
MacDonald said it was not uncommon to hear people playing the piano throughout the day and early evenings in the town.
She said she saw visitors from
Ontario stop their vehicle and get out to play a tune as well as teenagers and other groups of people who would stop and take a seat on
the bench. Vandals tore the boards o the piano and knocked it on its side where town maintenance sta found it Tuesday morning.
“e pieces were laying on the ground and the keys were completely smashed,” she said.
But all is not lost. Shortly after the town posted photos of the vandalism on its Facebook page, people o ered to donate pianos to the town to replace the one that was vandalized.
MacDonald said the support the town received on its post shows how important the piano is in the community.
“I found the community took ownership of it,” she said. “It was their piano. We saw youth playing it, small children, elderly people. Really everybody.”
Two more people donated pianos to the town as of Tuesday so the town is in the midst of deciding where they will be located.
“I found the community took ownership of it … It was their piano. We saw youth playing it, small children, elderly people. Really everybody.”
Geralyn MacDonald,
Town of New Glasgow