CAPE GEORGE – Hurt and anger continue to permeate throughout this Antigonish County community as the theft of a historic bell from St. David’s United Church more than a week ago remains unsolved, although there is word online – which has not been confirmed by police – that it has been destroyed.
In a March 24 press release, the Antigonish County District RCMP announced it had launched an investigation into the theft of a bell from the church property, which is located in the seaside community along Hwy. 337. They indicated that local officers responded to a report of a theft outside of a church in Cape George, learning that the artifact had been taken sometime between overnight March 18 and March 20.
The church caretaker discovered the bell was missing on the morning of March 20.
At that time, investigators indicated they believed someone used a grinder saw to cut the bell from its base and load it onto a truck.
In response to a request for an update on the police investigation, Cpl. Carlie McCann – Nova Scotia RCMP public information officer – indicated in an email on Monday afternoon (March 30) that there was “nothing new since [the] initial [press] release,” while confirming that the bell had not been located.
When asked if there were any leads on its whereabouts, who may have taken the bell and the prospects of finding it, McCann replied, “Since this is still an open, active investigation, I can’t provide further details beyond what is in the news release. We continue to ask that anyone with information please reach out to the [Antigonish] detachment or Crime Stoppers.”
Along with the RCMP, community members have been pursuing the return of the bell, including Cape George resident Kate MacEachern – a Canadian Armed Forces veteran – who, along with conducting a search, started a collection to offer a reward for its safe return. She contributed a large portion of the more than $2,000 that had been raised.
The theft last month from St. David’s occurred nearly a year to the day after a bell was stolen from Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Ballantynes Cove, just more than a kilometre away along Hwy. 337. MacEachern also offered a reward for its retrieval, along with leading a campaign – one centred on using security camera footage – which led to its recovery in neighbouring Pictou County.
“I’m actually past the point of feeling devastated right now. I don’t have words to explain how awful it feels to write what I’m about to,” MacEachern wrote in a Facebook post updating the status of her investigation – one in which she indicated that the St. David’s bell had been “cut into pieces within 48 hours of its being stolen” by someone who acquired it from the thieves who took it from the church property. She noted that the pieces were small enough that the bell could no longer be identified. That social media message from MacEachern garnered a flood of responses.
Although the RCMP press release announcing the theft indicated that the St. David’s bell is made of iron, church officials have indicated it is either brass or bronze, which would make it a more valuable commodity if melted down and sold by thieves. The timing of the theft – community leaders indicated – paralleled a break-in and theft of copper wire and cable from the nearby Fishermen’s Co-op at Ballantynes Cove, although no connection has been made between the two incidents.
Crafted in New York in 1855, the rich history of the St. David’s bell in Antigonish County dates to the late 1800s, when it was donated to the St. Ninian Street School by the MacNaughton family. When the school closed in the late 1960s, ownership returned to the family, who donated it to the United Church in Ballantynes Cove in 1983. It had been a mainstay for the congregation of the rural church, which celebrates services seasonally – mainly during the summer – along with Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.
The mood of the community regarding the violation hasn’t changed much since Brenda Rose – who lives near St. David’s United Church – spoke to The Journal about the theft for the March 25 edition.
“It is a dirty, rotten thing to do,” she said.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the bell or other information that will support the investigation is asked to contact Antigonish County District RCMP at 902-863-6500. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.
