North Van business hit with racially targeted vandalism

A North Vancouver business owner says she’s shocked and disappointed after her esthetics company was hit with what appeared to be racially motivated vandalism.

Afterglow Physician Directed Medical Aesthetics has operated for many years in North Vancouver’s Westview Plaza, but has been recently working to open a second location on West Esplanade in Lower Lonsdale.

But Carey Dillen, CEO and president of the company, said she was disturbed recently to find a vinyl “wrap” around the construction site had been targeted by vandals, who scratched out several women’s faces featured on the advertising. In particular, only the non-Caucasian faces on the wrap had been attacked, said Dillen. “It felt targeted,” she said. “They scratched out the eyes on those faces.”

The company prides itself on being diverse and inclusive, said Dillen, with staff members and customers from a variety of backgrounds.

Staff shared her feelings of “disappointment” and “disgust,” said Dillen, who was informed of the vandalism after the construction team resumed work on the site after a week’s break in mid-February.

Dillen said she reported the incident to police, but so far there hasn’t been any security camera surveillance located that could help nail down a suspect.

Greg Holmes, executive director of the Lower Lonsdale Business Improvement Area, said he was also appalled to hear about the vandalism that appeared racially motivated.

“It’s disgusting and appalling,” he said. But he added, “We’re treating this as an isolated incident.”

Holmes said businesses in the area have “their antenna up,” however. North Vancouver RCMP have said they also plan to do more foot patrols in the Shipyards District this summer as pandemic restrictions lift, said Holmes.

“The Shipyards has become an incredibly popular area. There are always undesirable elements that follow the crowds,” he said.