City of Vancouver working to halt theft of heritage building plaques
Credit to Author: Postmedia News| Date: Tue, 01 Oct 2019 17:59:56 +0000
A dozen heritage plaques have been stolen from Vancouver buildings since March, leaving the city searching for ways to stop the thefts.
The plaques, which are made of copper and tin and each measure about 30 cm high and wide, are installed to identify the designated heritage status of buildings throughout the city. The plaques feature write-ups that explain the building’s value, significance and architectural style.
According to Jason Olinek, the city’s acting assistant director of development planning, there are approximately 600 plaques installed in Vancouver. Twelve have gone missing since March 2019.
“Although the material value of these plaques is not high, the cost of replacing them is born by the city so staff would like to raise this issue with the Vancouver Heritage Commission to seek their guidance in an early discussion of how this could be addressed going forward,” Olinek said in a statement.
The city will consider options such as a different mounting detail or alternate locations where plaques could be installed, as a way of preventing further thefts.
The matter will be discussed at an upcoming Vancouver Heritage Commission meeting.
The program was first launched in 1990.