Hay bale bear, Baley, destroyed by vandals in downtown Halifax

Baley the hay bale bear at the Common Roots Urban Farm in Halifax has been destroyed by vandals.

The bear was torn down by vandals sometime early Friday morning, said Jayme Melrose, the project co-ordinator for the Common Roots Urban Farm at the corner of Robie Street and Bell Road.

"We arrived in the morning to find him brutally dismembered," said Melrose.

Baley was made up of five large round bales of straw and eight small square bales. Because of the heavy rain on Thursday, Melrose says the bales, combined, would have weighed a couple of tons.

She suspects the bear massacre was not an offence committed by one person.

"They were very big and very heavy bales," said Melrose. "It must have been a team-building activity or some crew of very strong people. I really marvel at the strength and determination of the people who wrecked him."

Melrose says Baley was popular with people of all ages.

A tractor would be needed to rebuild Baley but instead it looks like he'll now be used for a different purpose.

"We can now use him to mulch our gardens," said Melrose. "He'll protect the soil in the winter time and we'll also turn him into our platform from where we'll smash our pumpkins at our end of the season Harvest Hootenanny and Pumpkin Smash."