Moose in the City

Antlers were separate but attached to the moose sculptures. As a result, many were stolen throughout the exhibit, each weighing 2.5 kilograms.[12] As of 22 June, 43.5 of 115 missing antlers were "unaccounted for", and three entire moose were missing.[12] Once vandalism of the moose started, the city started a hotline for moose abuse tips, with messages checked every night.[13]

Steven Dengler, who worked in a Bay Street office, and 12 other lawyers and "techies" launched AntlerWatch.com, a site using digital cameras to record the state of the moose, and act as a centralized, email-based crime reporting service, much like Crime Stoppers. At the time, only 14 moose were in the downtown, with 85 more just revealed. Half of the moose being watched by the site were vandalized or spray-painted by the start of June. The group aimed to have realtime monitoring of moose on webcam, and to form a cooperative agreement with the city on moose protection.[12][13] Daljit Sing Birak of Brampton was arrested by Toronto police in June, when caught with four antlers, after a 911 call to report the crime in progress. The man was charged with mischief under $5,000; if convicted, he faced a maximum penalty of five years in jail.[12]

One letter to the editor suggested that, without antlers, the moose looked like donkeys.[14] Another letter writer suggested it was either a "frustrated naturalist" correcting the bull moose, who have no antlers during the summer, developing them partway through August, or perhaps feminists, angry there were no cows.[15] Endorsing the moose mutilation, globalization critic Naomi Klein dubbed Antler Watch "a group of corporate vigilantes. She suggested that "Mel was bang on about one thing. The moose have become a blank slate onto which this city projects its creativity. Only it turns out that most of that creativity involves some form of moose mutilation." [2]

One guest columnist claimed "squads of municipal employees apparently work throughout the day to ensure that they are clean and unharmed by vandals."[16] One letter writer described the repair process of moose. Tuesday nights, new antlers would be installed, and painted by Wednesday night. They would be gone by the next Monday. Notices were posted around the moose, asking for information, and video camera pointed towards the moose from nearby buildings. By 29 May, the moose was entirely removed from the spot.[17]

In an August interview, Cohon commented "I don't like to talk about all the vandalism. I never expected people would damage them. It's unfortunate, but it's sort of a thing of the past. It seems to be over now."[1]

Lost Moose, one of the statues sponsored by BMW, was moved to Whitby to avoid the vandalism in Toronto, stationed at the entrance of Iroquois Park.[18] During the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Aline Chretien officially opened a bar on Cockle Bay Wharf, to try and shake "Canada's reputation as a slightly dull—if clean and safe—place." Featured was vodka-based "moose juice", and Lastman was expected to appear.[6] A few moose from the Moose in the City program were displayed in Darling Harbour, just west of the downtown, at "Moose Lodge".[19] One eventually made its way to Bermuda.[20] One of the Moose, the Tourist moose, ended up at 1405 Denison Street outside an industrial building in Markham, Ontario.[21]

In response to suggestions the moose were no more than corporate billboards, Cohon noted no more than 10 have logos on them; Christopher Hume questioned the validity of that assertion. Supporting sponsors like Coca-Cola were allowed "enhanced corporate identity." Participants had to follow rules on the amount of corporate presence each moose could have, rules found too restrictive by the National Hockey League and NHLPA, which did not participate. Hume noted irony in the fact that, during the Art Gallery of Ontario launch of the moose in March, Lastman touted "what exposure ... five months of advertising for your business."[1]

Enza Anderson

Naomi Klein

Various Torontonians criticized the moose.

On Lastman's announcement that he would run again in 2000, criticism returned. "Instead of going from photo op to photo op unveiling moose, he's going to have to take on the real concerns," stated John Nunziata, then an independent MP.[31] When endorsing Tooker Gomberg for mayor, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union Region 5 highlighted what they felt was Lastman's choice of moose over the homeless.[32]

"He never stops talking about the moose, as though they were the highlight of his first three years in office." Globe columnist John Barber saw Toronto's attitude towards the moose as a sign of their complacency,[25] while a Star guest writer suggested that the city has become "a place that cares more about spectacle and cheap visual thrills than it does about its citizens."[16] Lastman's priorities were scorned even by an underfunded candidate, Enza Anderson.[33]