Theft of cenotaph plaques stuns Legion president

FREDERICTON — The national president of the Canadian Legion says it’s unbelievable that anyone would stoop so low as to steal memorial plaques off two cenotaphs in Fredericton.

“I know 99 per cent of Canadians do understand the importance of our monuments and cenotaphs,” Tom Eagles said Wednesday. “They build awareness of how our veterans shaped the Canada we know today.”

Speaking from his home in Plaster Rock, N.B., Eagles said he hopes it was an isolated incident involving someone in need of money.

On Monday, it was discovered that three brass plaques containing the names of First, Second and Korean War veterans were missing from the cenotaph in the downtown.

A plaque from the cenotaph in Barkers Point had been reported missing earlier.

Branch 4 Legion president Don Swain said some of the plaques have surfaced at a metal recycling business, but the names have been ground off.

Swain said police are looking for a suspect.

“He just wanted the money for the brass,” Swain said. “In his little pea-pod mind, he probably didn’t know what Remembrance Day was all about or what the plaques meant or what the cenotaph was for.”

Fredericton Police spokeswoman Alycia Bartlett said an active investigation is underway but couldn’t provide details.

Brian Macdonald, a Fredericton-area member of the provincial legislature, a Canadian Forces veteran, called the thefts “shocking and appalling.”

The downtown cenotaph was also vandalized in 2009 when a large granite cross was toppled, shattering into pieces.

Macdonald said there needs to be some kind of security, but wouldn’t want to see a fence erected.