Historic item stolen from Antigonish County church recovered: N.S. RCMP

Historical items from churches and monuments have been recently stolen in northern Nova Scotia.

A historic item stolen from Holy Rosary Church in Ballantyne’s Cove, N.S., has been recovered.

Antigonish County District RCMP responded to a report of a theft at the church on Highway 337 on April 1. When officers arrived, they learned a large bell had been taken the night before.

Days later, police learned the missing item was located in Pictou County.

Kate MacEachern says she took it upon herself to track down the bell.

“It wasn’t necessarily about the church bell. It was about something they took from my community,” she told CTV News.

When MacEachern reached out to the community for information, she received hundreds of tips and eventually found the bell down a steep embankment in Thorburn.

“It’s back in our community. It’s actually currently being fixed. There was some pretty heavy damage to the yoke, the very top of the bell,” she said.

The Nova Scotia RCMP says community support and engagement played a key role in recovering the bell. The investigation is ongoing and officers continue to follow up on leads.

“When property crime targets historical or cultural items, we understand that the impact can be significant on the community as a whole,” said S/Sgt. Kim Hillier, Antigonish RCMP Detachment Commander, in a news release.

“Thank you to all who played a part in returning this bell to where it belongs.”

The missing bell is just one in a series of thefts of historical items in northern Nova Scotia.

In late March, someone noticed the bell from the front of Holy Name Church in Westville was gone and it’s still missing.

A New Glasgow church was also hit when someone stole three iPads during a private event. The tablets were recovered and charges have been laid.

RCMP in Pictou County are looking for those responsible for stealing three bronze plaques – one from a building and two others from a stone memorial.

“They’re even more disappointing given that they have historical nature, and it has taken away a little bit of our heritage from the community,” says S/Sgt. Curtis MacKinnon, with the Stellarton RCMP.

According to police, car owners should also be vigilant. In 2024, police in New Glasgow responded to 78 reports of thefts from vehicles. In 99 per cent of those cases, police say the vehicle was unlocked.

“As a result, one of the biggest messages from police is to lock your vehicles because it is a crime of opportunity,” said Const. Ken MacDonald, a public information officer with the New Glasgow Regional Police.

Const. MacDonald recommends all thefts should be immediately reported to police.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis.

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