On the heels of a spray-paint attack on the statue of Canada's first prime minister hours before celebrations to mark what would have been his 198th birthday, plaques in front of two of Sir John A.'s former residences were discovered vandalized Monday.

Bronze plaques at 134 Earl St. and 194 Johnson St. were splattered with red paint. On the sidewalk near one of the plaques, the word "murderer" was spray-painted.

"We're treating these incidents very seriously," said Const. Steve Koopman of Kingston Police.

Police recovered evidence at both scenes, including a spray-paint can at the Earl St. address.

"We'll see if we have luck forensically with that evidence," said Koopman.

Arthur Milnes, who's spearheading the Sir John A. Macdonald Bicentennial Commission, was livid over the latest acts, which in one instance took place in front of the home of political scientist Hugh Thorburn.

"I want to know what meat head feels he has the right to desecrate a plaque - any plaque - in front of the home of a distinguished senior citizen who's done nothing but serve his country as an eminent political scientist."
Milnes reiterated the words of Mayor Mark Gerretsen in the aftermath of the paint damage to the statue earlier this month.

"Vandalize it and we'll fix it," said Milnes. "Nothing will stop this community from celebrating Sir John A."

In the Jan. 11 incident, vandals wrote phrases, such as "This is stolen land," "Murderer," "Colonizer," "Sir John A. Killer," and "F--- Canada," across the statue.