A sacred healing place where individuals gather to remember their loved ones has been targeted by thieves.
Remy Boulbol, VON spokesperson, says "This is a space that is calm, that is supposed to be a place of remembrance, of peace...and it's now a place that's been vandalized, that's been stolen from, and that is heartbreaking."
About 20 brass memorial plaques have been stolen from Centennial Park in Sarnia. The names of ten to twenty people who have lost their lives are inscribed on each plaque.
The plaques are part of a memorial garden sponsored by the Victorian Order of Nurses.
Each year, individuals donate $100 to have the names of loved ones added to the plaques.
The VON first learned about the thefts from a man who stopped by the site on Sunday night and noticed that the plaque with his brother’s name on it was not there.
Families whose loved ones names were on the plaques that are missing are being notified.
Meanwhile the VON is looking for community support to help replace the stolen plaques and to keep watch to ensure those remaining are not disturbed.
"We will do all we can to make it right as soon as possible," Boulbol says.
Sarnia police are investigating.
