Vandals deface Maugerville’s beloved Big Potato, three years after sculpture was restored

The famous Big Potato statue in New Brunswick has been defaced.

At six metres tall, with a quirky grin and awkward wave, Maugerville’s beloved Big Potato Man has been a roadside superstar for 56 years.

And while he’s maintaining his happy-go-lucky demeaner, a senseless act of graffiti has his bottom half covered up – what’s behind it is against everything he’s all about.

“It’s phallic and it’s not very friendly,” said the owner of Silver Valley Farms and the Big Potato, Daniel Boudreau. “I mean, especially kids, you know, a lot of kids come here and people, like, take your picture in front of it. It’s just not very, you know, it is what it is.”

It was 1:32 a.m. Nov. 5 when Boudreau’s security cameras caught a vehicle in his parking lot, and individuals appear to vandalize the Big Potato.

Boudreau and staff saw it just hours later as they arrived for work.

“It’s not fun. You know, we just spent almost $30,000 three or four years ago restoring him and here we are looking at probably another significant bill just to fix that,” he said.

He posted some of the security footage on social media. It has over 50,000 views – and people are outraged.

“So sorry someone would do this to a much loved, iconic New Brunswick Potato,” read one comment.

The 56-year-old sculpture was repaired from top to bottom, costing thousands, just over three years ago.

It’s not easy to find someone who can do this type of repair work, Boudreau says. But he promises to figure it out.

“We’re not planning on letting him go. We’ll do what we got to do to make him last a long time. It’s just disheartening to have to put a bunch of work into him after only three of four years,” he said.

The graffiti has been reported to police.

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