With less than a week until Remembrance Day, the City of Saint John has restored plaques on the King’s Square Cenotaph which were stolen back in June. The war memorial had bronze plaques - honouring Canadian troops for their efforts in the Second World War and Afghanistan - taken. The city removed the remaining bronze placards and have returned them to the legion. Now the memorial has new plaques, ones that feature etched granite which was then installed onto the monument. It cost around $7,000 dollars to replace. Saint John Parks and Recreation Superintendent Nick Crozier says the granite style was picked over the former bronze banners as it is both cheaper and more durable. Given the value discrepancy between bronze and granite, the city is also hopeful the change will mean the plaques won’t be stolen again. “We have about 25 to 30 other plaques around the city that have been stolen,” Crozier tells CTV Atlantic. “We’re currently in the investigation mode as far as what products work for what monuments. Every monument is different, so every product that we replace the bronze with is going to be different and custom to that monument.” Because each replaced plaque will differ in style, Crozier couldn’t give a timeline for when each missing plaque will be replaced. He also noted because the temperatures are dropping, it may mean restoration work could be pushed until spring. City Council was presented a report earlier in the week, where it is estimated it will cost north of $31,000 to repair all the stolen or damaged monuments. While King’s Square is the most notable area with missing plaques, memorials have also been stolen from areas like Queen’s Square, the Harbour Passage, and the Loyalist Burial Grounds. CTV Atlantic reached out to Saint John Police for an update on the plaque investigations and is awaiting a response. The Fernhill Cemetery has also been hit by thieves. Patrick Olsen is the general manager for the cemetery and says he knows of at least 15 plaques that need replacing. That includes the IODE Cenotaph located in the centre of the cemetery. “It’s very disrespectful to the people who reside here and their families as well,” Olsen says. “This is a place meant for memory, memorialization, and respect and honor for the people who are here. It’s quite shameful to see that people would come and disrespect them in that way.” Like the city, Olsen is also going the direction of replacing the stolen bronze plaques with granite models. He says thieves would get little value out of stealing the stone and is much cheaper to create that the bronze banner. “The idea is that we get something that’s not likely to be stolen again,” Olsen says. “You can’t melt down a rock and sell that.” For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
