Shirt stolen from Indigenous memorial in Kitchener
Waterloo regional police are investigating a theft from a cultural display set up at The Healing of the Seven Generations in downtown Kitchener.
The display of red dresses and shirts is set up on the organization’s front lawn for missing and murdered Indigenous people. Each post has one person’s story attached, along with a clothing item.
On Thursday morning when staff member Serena Wesley arrived at work, she noticed one of the items was missing.
“One of the poles was empty that had one of our T-shirts on it, and it was for a young man,” Wesley explained.
“We had a T-shirt up there for him and we had put a hole in it and put a zip tie through it so no one could take it, so whoever took had to rip it right off the pole.”
Wesley explained that the display is a memorial.
“We have stories on every pole and for us – one of the poles is my mom – so it’s to honour them, to give them a voice and to educate people,” Wesley said.
Staff reported the theft to police.
In an emailed statement, WRPS said it’s believed the theft took place between 10 p.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. Thursday.
“Due to the cultural significant of the stolen item, WRPS’s General Investigative Unit and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Unit are involved in the investigation,” WRPS said.
Wesley said it’s not the first time one of their displays has been altered.
“Last year we did have another incident that we did not report. We had a lady that came on the property during the day. It was on the weekend. She picked one dress off, looked at it, I guess decided she didn’t like it, put it back and grabbed one of the other dresses and took it,” Wesley said.
“The shirts and dresses don’t have any value to them – there’s no cost – it’s just what they stand for, what they represent. So it’s just hurtful.”
Wesley said whoever took the item likely knew what they were doing.
“You’re standing right in front of someone’s story and you decided to rip that shirt off that pole that was supposed to give that person a voice,” Wesley said.
“We’re an organization that if you were really in need of a T-shirt, we would give you one.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Waterloo Regional Police Service or CrimeStoppers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
WATCH Why today's inflation numbers are good if you have a mortgage
New inflation data is 'welcome news' for consumers and an economist says it could signal the possibility for a interest rate cut as several core measures also continue to ease.
Conservatives kick off return to House with new call for Speaker Greg Fergus to resign
Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives returned to the House of Commons on Tuesday with a renewed call for Speaker Greg Fergus to resign, this time over 'very partisan' and 'inflammatory' language used to promote an upcoming event.
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Trump campaign calls 'The Apprentice' 'blatantly false,' director offers to screen it for him
Donald Trump's reelection campaign called 'The Apprentice,' a film about the former U.S. president in the 1980s, 'pure fiction' and vowed legal action following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. But director Ali Abbasi is offering to privately screen the film for Trump.
Feels like mid-30s in parts of Canada, while other areas expecting snow
Anything is possible this week, as far as Canada's weather is concerned, with forecasts ranging from scorching heat in some parts of the country to rain and snow in others.
Nestle to sell $5 pizza, sandwiches in the U.S. for Wegovy, Ozempic users
Nestle NESN.S will market a new, US$5 line of frozen pizzas and protein-enriched pastas in the United States which it says it designed specifically for people taking drugs such as Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss.
How much more Canadian consumers are paying, compared to this time last year
Canada's annual inflation rate slowed to a three-year low of 2.7 per cent in April, matching expectations, and core measures continued to ease, data showed on Tuesday, likely boosting chances of a June interest rate cut.