123 Edmonton Memorial Plaques Have Been Stolen In The Last Week

People have stolen some crazy things for money but recently, 123 Edmonton memorial plaques were stolen along the River Valley. These plaques were all originally bought by families or donours to commemorate the loss of a loved one or significant figure. Officials are now working to find the person responsible as well as contacting those who owned the bronze plaques.

Just a few short days ago, the City of Edmonton learned that 51 plaques were missing. According to the Calgary Herald, the bronze plaques went missing on January 21 and 22, 2020. 

As of Sunday, January 26, an additional 72 plaques have been stolen from public city benches bringing the total up to 123. 

These commemorative plaques were all from benches along Victoria Promenade, River Valley Road, and Grant Notely Park. 

According to CBC News, the officials working on the case have stated that these thefts are unfortunate and the city regrets any impact that has been caused to the families and donors of the plaques. 

Since the discovery, the city has been working on contacting all of the donors stating that officials are working on replacing the stolen items. 

The Edmonton police are now working on finding who is responsible. 

These memorials are not cheap and often have strong connections associated with the owners. 

According to the Calgary Herald, an Edmonton resident by the name of Sandi Belanger-Silva purchased a memorial when her father passed away for about $2,200.

It is assumed by law enforcement that people are stealing these small bronze plagues due to the monetary value. 

At this time, the city does not know how much this damage will cost, however, the Calgary Herald has confirmed that one plaque costs the city about $250. 

Given this information, it could cost the city about $30,750 to replace all the stolen items at absolutely no cost to the impacted families and donors. 

This is not the first time something like this has happened. According to CTV News, a man was charged in August 2017 after he stole 18 military memorial plaques from the Griesbach community. 

With liquor stores considering adding ID scanners to curb theft and these plaques going missing, petty theft is of concern in the Albertan city.

Narcity has reached out to both the Edmonton Police Department and the City of Edmonton for comment and we will update this story when we receive a response.