They don’t know who did it. They don’t know why. But residents in the Old Mill area want the stone structures to stay.

Several area residents were pleasantly surprised Monday morning after finding 39 unique stone statuettes had been erected in the Humber River — seemingly overnight.

Susanne Fletcher, who often goes jogging in the park, didn’t see the structures Sunday night. But her husband noticed them Monday during a morning jog. Fletcher, who has lived in the area for about 10 years, said she has never seen anything like this before.

“I marvel at how they could get them to (stand like that),” she said. “I hope nobody destroys them. I hope they’re left there.”

Local resident Darko Edravic, who was having a barbecue along the river Monday afternoon, was equally impressed.

“I’m just in wonder, that’s all,” he said. “How the heck do you do that overnight?”

While Fletcher guessed that the inukshuk-like structures were put together by engineering students, Edravic said they were probably the work of anonymous urban artists.

“It’s almost like Banksy with his graffiti,” he said, referring to the iconic British street artist whose identity is unknown. “Maybe there’s some strange meaning or significance behind it.”

Another debate among onlookers was whether the rocks are free-standing or if they are attached.

“I was going to throw a rock at one” to find out, said a passing cyclist. “Should I do it?”

“No!” said Anne Moffat, who was also on her bike. “Don’t. It’s beautiful.”

Moffat said she believes the structures are free-standing and therefore “authentic.”

Many have called the structures makeshift inuksuit, which are Inuit landmarks traditionally erected for various purposes, including indicating navigational routes and commemorating a person or event. The inukshuk is often associated with Canadian Inuit culture. It adorns the territorial flag of Nunavut, and, more recently, was featured as the logo for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Regardless of what they are or who built them, one thing is clear: people like them.

“I really hope it stays for a while,” said Duncan Gibson. “I expect some dumb kids to come and just knock it over.”

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Gibson’s mother Joanne, who was visiting from Orangeville, said she also hopes the statues stay put.

“If it gets knocked down, I hope it gets put back up again, because it’s interesting to see.”