Bronze plaques at Banff internment memorial reported stolen
Two trilingual plaques commemorating Ukrainians and other Europeans interned in Banff during World War I have been reported stolen and the statue vandalized.
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RCMP are investigating the alleged theft of two bronze plaques commemorating Ukrainians and other Europeans who were interned in Banff National Park during the First World War.
The plaques—one affixed to a statue titled "Why" and a second attached to a nearby rock—were discovered missing in late May when officials from the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association arrived for a visit. The statue itself sustained significant damage to its leg and foot.
Both the statue and its bronze interpretive plaques were unveiled in August 1995 by the UCCLA. They were installed to commemorate the thousands of Ukrainians and other Europeans affected by Canada's internment operations, which took place from 1914 to 1920—a little-known chapter of Canadian history during the First World War.
"These monuments serve to commemorate and educate Canadians about this little-known chapter of our country's history," UCCLA president Kyle Hoyda stated. "Acts of theft and vandalism directed at these historical monuments are both cowardly and deeply distressing."
The theft marks a troubling incident at a site dedicated to preserving memory of a difficult period in Canadian history. Investigators are seeking information about the missing plaques and the damage to the statue.