Of all the assignments with the Sarnia Police Service’s Major Case Action Team (MCAT), Sgt. Jordan Dufton says this week’s was one of his most rewarding.
Dufton and his team were able to recover an historic, 145-year-old bell that had been reported missing from its cairn on the Lochiel Kiwanis Centre grounds earlier this month.
But the best part?
“Was getting to call the Kiwanis centre to surprise them with the news,” Dufton said, recalling his phone call to Kiwanis member Dick Felton this week. “I said, ‘hey, we found it, and it’s still intact.’
“They were shocked.”
The bell had been part of a monument on the grounds of McGibbon Park, along College Ave., commemorating the site of the former George Street School and its first principal, Alexander Wark. It was the only remaining relic of the school, which was demolished in 1938.
Officials at the centre said they noticed the bell was gone, in mid-July, and called police.
An investigation was launched, but Kiwanis officials said there was little hope the bell would be recovered.
“Some information was received that was followed up by some of our officers,” Dufton explained. “We located the bell at a property in the city, and we were able to get co-operation from the people at that property to return the bell to us.
"We are still investigating the matter at this time; charges are pending, but we expect that at a later date.”
The bronze bell likely weighs at least 400 pounds, and took five officers to lift, police said.
A small unveiling was held for Kiwanis members and media at McGibbon Park Wednesday.
"It's unbelievable, really," said Felton. "I figured it was gone for good.
“We’ve got to get it fixed and repaired; and then we’ll get it up and then we will have to decide what to do,” he added, pointing to other historic bells throughout the city that are protected by gates or bars, like the one at Sarnia’s St. Joseph’s church.
“I mean, do we have to do that here? I don’t know.”
The George Street School Bell was initially mounted atop a stone cairn, inside the school fence along George Street, and was moved twice, each time with a new base.
During moves, the time capsule inside the base was opened and copies of some of the original contents were displayed at the Lambton Heritage Museum, while others can be viewed inside the Kiwanis Centre.
The original contents, along with new ones were buried inside the new cairn, and the bell received heritage designation in 1998.
“It was very rewarding, especially with the amount of time put into it, and the work the officers did,” Dufton said. “Because, normally, we don’t find these things once they’ve been taken.”