Law enforcement officials are appealing to the public for help after nearly 100 “broken ladder” memorials were stolen from a cemetery for volunteer firefighters in Bridgewater, N.S., over the weekend.
The brass memorials are found on approximately 200 gravesites at the Brookside Cemetery. Investigators say that 98 of them have gone missing.
“It’s pretty disappointing to see that someone – whether it’s within our community or one of the outskirts communities – would have the nerve, I guess, to take something like this,” said Cst. James Creaser of the Bridgewater police. “It has a lot of meaning to the families.”
The brass memorials have been in place at the Brookside Cemetery since the 1800s.
“The broken rung means that they have served their time and it’s (now time) for them to take a rest and sit back,” said Bridgewater Fire Chief Michael Nauss.
Reid Whynot, whose father spent 25 years serving his community as a volunteer firefighter and is buried at the cemetery, said the memorial is “the only reminder” of their service.
“It’s terrible,” Whynot said of the thefts. “It’s really disgusting.”
The incident happened a few days after the city of Bridgewater marked the anniversary of a large fire.
“Our fire department is very special to us,” said David Mitchell, the city’s mayor. “To have this happen around the time when we’re remembering what our fire department had to go through…it’s especially disappointing.”
Police say that several of the stolen ladders have been located along a local trail, but added that there are still no leads so they are continuing their investigation.
“We’re not blaming anybody for taking them,” said Nauss. “But if they did see them or have any idea where they might have gone, please report it to either the fire department or the police department.”
With a report from CTV Atlantic’s Suzette Belliveau
