Alberta historical monument vandalized, plaques stolen: RCMP
Posted Jul 25, 2022 4:50 pm.
An Alberta historical monument belonging to Little Chicago-Royalties has been vandalized, and the RCMP needs help.
This comes after a series of thefts in Calgary, where several plaques have been stolen or removed in recent months.
The Turner Valley RCMP says it’s believed the damage to the monument in the Longview area happened between July 7 and July 15.
Related article: Dozens of plaques stolen from downtown Calgary parks, paths
Little Chicago was a small oil settlement that was officially named Royalties, and the monument, which was put up in 2004, is all that is left of the community.
The monument contains multiple plaques that have the names of residents of the settlement, along with the history of the place.
According to Alberta Culture and Tourism, Little Chicago reflected the increased pace of growth in the community. At its peak, Little Chicago-Royalties had a population of 1,700.
The settlement went into decline after 1947 when people and businesses left. The last building in the region was the local post office, which closed in the 1970s.
Anyone with information related to the thefts is asked to contact the Turner Valley RCMP at 403-933-4262, their local police detachment, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
