Tribute to late 11-year-old Barrie boy vanishes again
A street sign in Barrie, renamed to honour 11-year-old Chase McEachern's legacy after he died in 2006, has gone missing again from an alleyway at the heart of the city's waterfront.
"It's an honour to have a street named after Chase. When we come home, we look at it, and we smile," said John McEachern, Chase's father.
The sign above Bayfield Street, known as the Chase McEachern sign, was replaced in March after it went missing in the winter and has since vanished again.
Chase died from heart complications after suddenly collapsing during gym class at his Prince of Wales Public School.
The boy's death inspired buildings across the country to have defibrillators on site to prevent similar tragedies.
Thanks to the strong campaign efforts of Chase's family, the street in downtown Barrie was named after him.
"It's something that I've very proud of. And I know his mom Dorothy is very proud of it, and his brother is very proud," said McEachern.
The family was upset to hear that the sign for his street had been missing multiple times since January and, most recently, since Easter weekend.
"I called Sergio [Morales]. And he goes, I didn't want to tell you, John. I know it would disturb you. It does," shared McEachern.
"At the end of the day, the goal is to honour Chase's memory, get the sign replaced, and make sure that the impact he had in this community and continues to have is known by Barrie residents," said Morales, a city councillor.
Morales said it costs the City less than $200 to replace the sign each time. Neither Chase's father nor the City have filed a police report.
"We're aware now that this is taking place. We'll make sure that our folks who work in that part of the city are aware of it and can keep an eye on that sign and keep it where it belongs," said Peter Leon, spokesperson with the Barrie Police Services.
Morales submitted a work order three weeks ago for another sign, so it's a matter of time before it gets replaced.
City officials say they will closely monitor the area, but the reason the sign keeps disappearing remains unknown.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Baby and grandparents killed in wrong-way crash involving police on Ontario's Highway 401
An infant and the child's grandparents – aged 55 and 60 – were all killed when a vehicle being pursued by police in the wrong direction on Highway 401 in Whitby, Ont. caused a crash involving at least six vehicles, the Special Investigations Unit says. The driver of the suspect vehicle also died.
Judge holds Trump in contempt, fines him US$9,000 and raises threat of jail in hush money trial
Donald Trump was held in contempt of court Tuesday and fined US$9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. If he does it again, the judge warned, he could be jailed.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
New cancer treatment approved, but not everyone thinks it's what's best for patients
A new cancer treatment recently approved in Canada promises to cut treatment time down to just minutes, but experts have differing opinions on whether it's what's best for patients.
T. rex is at the center of a debate over dinosaur intelligence
Surmising even the physical appearance of a dinosaur - or any extinct animal - based on its fossils is a tricky proposition, with so many uncertainties involved. Assessing a dinosaur's intelligence, considering the innumerable factors contributing to that trait, is exponentially more difficult.
Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. town out of office
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black River-Matheson.
This is how many dentists have actually signed up for Canada's new free dental program
A new Canadian dental care program is offering the hope of free care to millions, but while 1.7 million people have signed up for the plan, only about 5,000 dentists have done the same.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a east London suburb early Tuesday, killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring four others, authorities said.