Alberta RCMP seek help in search for stolen plaques at vandalized memorial
Posted Jun 12, 2026 10:58 am.
Last Updated Jun 12, 2026 10:59 am.
Alberta RCMP are asking the public for help in the search for stolen commemorative plaques from a World War I internment memorial in Banff National Park in late May.
Detachments in Banff and Lake Louise both received reports about vandalism to the Castle Mountain Internment Camp Memorial and the theft of two plaques on May 28.
The site was erected in memory of Ukrainians and other Europeans imprisoned during WWI amid Canadian internment operations, which lasted from 1914 to 1920. The monument serves as a place of remembrance and learning and was paid for by Ukrainian communities in Banff and Calgary.
Borys Sydoruk, a board member of the Ukrainian Canadian Civil Liberties Association, told CityNews days earlier that members first noticed the theft and vandalism while conducting annual maintenance.
“A friend of mine and myself, we went out to apply the wax and discovered the vandalism,” he said. “The large bronze plaque was gone, and that was trilingual, English, French and Ukrainian.”
Mounties in Lake Louise say the theft of plaques and vandalism to the statue is “disappointing” and impacts those who worked to preserve its history.
Anyone who may have seen suspicious activity or has come across the plaques is asked to contact the Lake Louise RCMP at 403-522-3812. Police also ask anyone who has visited the memorial and observed the plaques untouched to contact them with the date.
You can also contact police anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play store.
