Montreal police investigate vandalism at iconic Molson Brewery

The words “KONG” and “SLUK” were sprayed on the old Molson Brewery building Friday night, prompting the owners to call in a cleanup team.

The historic old Molson Brewery building was vandalized on Saturday.

Under the famous monumental clock, the letters K, N, G and L, U, K were added to the Molson sign. The first O in Molson was also altered.

Montreal police (SPVM) confirmed they received a 911 call reporting mischief believed to have occurred overnight between Jan. 9 and 10 on the façade of an industrial building on Notre-Dame Street.

According to the SPVM, checks were done on surveillance camera footage in the area. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.

Groupe Montoni, co-owner of the iconic building, said in a statement that there was no indication of theft, calling the incident an “isolated” act.

“We are in contact with the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, and a report was filed on Saturday. In addition, a specialized anti-graffiti firm was on-site yesterday to assess the appropriate methods for removing the graffiti while preserving the heritage character of the site,” Jean-Baptiste Portrait, a spokesperson for Groupe Montoni, said.

The developer added that the Quartier Molson site remains secure according to the highest standards and that those measures are maintained at all times.

“This type of incident, whether artistic or not, is regrettable, especially when it affects a heritage landmark,” Portrait said.

The City of Montreal plans to transform the site into a residential neighbourhood with a public park and about 5,000 housing units. The project is being led by Groupe Montoni and the Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ.