Bike Cochrane's LaunchPad Bike Park is the latest victim of a growing amount of graffiti defacing public and private property in our community.

The LaunchPad was developed, thanks to hundreds of volunteer hours, generous supporters, and grant funders.  Paul Perrault, Bike Cochrane director of operations, says it will now take hours to clean up this mess.

"Our volunteers could be spending those hours building more trails for the town, and instead we have to spend hours cleaning up this vandalism. It’s possible we may have to dismantle or remove that wooden feature from the Launchpad, which then means kids won’t be able to use it."

This isn't an isolated case, he points out.

"We’ve also seen recent signage at the Ranche and near the Grandfather Tree be vandalized and damaged, which costs the taxpayers money to then replace it again."

"We’re sad to see this is the way some people choose to expend their energy."

Perrault says Bike Cochrane will be reviewing its security footage of this recent crime, along with the Ranche vandalism, and won't hesitate to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

LaunchPadThe LaunchPad has been used by thousands of cyclists annually since its creation by Bike Cochrane. (file photo)