A massive 3D sign with a cartoony, garish pink smile on the side of a Dartmouth denture clinic owned by the gunman in last weekend's mass shooting has been removed after complaints from the community.
The killer, now deceased, is believed to be responsible for the deaths of 22 people after a 13-hour shooting spree. He was a denturist and the owner of the Atlantic Denture Clinic at 193 Portland St., as well as another denture clinic in north-end Halifax.
Halifax Regional Police confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Police Chieff Dan Kinsella had used "appropriate police authorities" to have the signage removed from the property “due to the extraordinary nature of this event and the impact it has had on the community” and in an effort to mitigate any potential public safety issues, after receiving reports from members of the community that they were troubled by the signage.
A Change.org petition calling on officials to remove the sign, which includes a smiling mouth and a set of dentures, had reached 6,700 signatures out of the goal of 7,500 as of Wednesday afternoon.
“I used to walk up by this sign every day and the sign always stood out to me," one signatory said. "Now it's a horrible reminder for all of Nova Scotia. This sign and building makes me sick. Please tear it down."
Another person who signed the online petition said: “It would be the first step in the healing process. No one needs a huge reminder like that to look at every day.”
All signage was also removed from the Novalea Drive location of the killer's other denture clinic. Late Wednesday, all the lettering had been removed from the door and large window of the clinic and the blinds were drawn shut. The clinic's listing, which also included its signature smile logo, on the roadside sign identifying the tenants of the small plaza had also been removed.
