Brass plaques vanishing in Calgary Signal Hill amid concerns of alleged thefts

In Calgary’s Signal Hill, brass address plaques are mysteriously vanishing along with community entrance signs, and the association says this isn’t just a one-off incident.

Several have been disappearing, with resident Pauline Patenaude telling CityNews her security camera caught several people appearing to steal her plaque.

They failed, but got both her neighbours.

“We all went outside and noticed that their sign was missing and the signs next door, plus on the other side of us, so I guess any sign they can quickly pry off, they are taking with them,” she tells CityNews.

“The one for Signal Hill Estates is missing; some of the historical monumental signs for Battalion Park are missing.”

Patenaude says many residents she talked to aren’t reporting the alleged thefts to police, fearing it’s too minor for officers to take seriously.

Ronald Waters, the president of the Signal Hill Community Association, says it’s not an isolated case, putting it down to thefts happening in the area over the past year, and even beyond the historic Hart Family house and near Prairie Winds Park.

Waters says those plaques typically represent cherished memories of a great achievement from someone in the community.

“Those memories are there for a reason, and many times it is because of respect, because of what someone has done on behalf of the whole community, so to see people rob that is just crazy,” he said.

However, with limited budgets, the community association says replacing the signs is an ongoing challenge.

“It’s kind of a big hassle for homeowners to go out and replace all of them,” Waters said.

“All of a sudden, they are trying to figure out who is going to pay for the repairs, how extensive those repairs are going to be, and those things aren’t easy to solve. The city’s not going to do it, the community’s not going to do it, so we have to find somebody else.”

Despite concerns in the neighbourhood, Calgary police tell CityNews it’s not aware of a significant increase in metal sign theft to indicate it is a trend.

Still, Waters reminds Calgarians that if you face a similar crime, report it to police, because it’s the only way for them to track what could become a growing issue.