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
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
VIA Rail service delayed for hours due to suspicious package investigation in Kingston, Ont.
VIA Rail service resumed in the Kingston, Ont. area late Saturday afternoon, after a suspicious package investigation halted train service for more than four hours over the Victoria Day long weekend.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.