Fund created to help cemetery theft victims

West Kelowna Council has created a fund to accept donations to help victims of the recent theft at the Westbank Cemetery recover costs for memorial replacements.

“In the late evening of Saturday, September 14, bronze markers from 55 memorial plots in the Westbank Cemetery were stolen. On September 23, the city was advised that, through excellent police work and local tips, the stolen bronze markers were recovered, however, 19 were damaged beyond repair,” stated a city news release.

After hearing of local interest in helping impacted families to replace their memorials, West Kelowna Council requested the city establish a fund to receive donations.

People interested in donating can do so in person at City Hall, 2760 Cameron Road, with cheque, cash or debit or cheques can be mailed to City of West Kelowna Cemetery Memorial Replacement Fund at 2760 Cameron Road, West Kelowna, BC, V1Z 2T6.

Donors will be provided a tax donation receipt for donations exceeding $20. Donors are asked to provide their name, address and a contact phone number to receive the charitable donation receipt.

Families whose memorials must be replaced can apply to be reimbursed for a portion of their costs, depending on the donations received. Families will need to provide a receipt of purchase for their replacement memorials. The City has sourced reduced price options from suppliers for memorial markers.

Families are encouraged to consider memorial options that are not attractive to thieves, like granite, which is also less expensive than bronze. The City will waive its installation fees for impacted families.

Since the theft, the city has increased its park security patrol in the cemetery area, and a security agent will now walk the grounds of the cemetery each evening. The City is also investigating security cameras.

Anyone with information about this theft is asked to contact West Kelowna RCMP at 250-768-2880.