The original Canadian Pacific Railway Oliver station sign board - Date unknown Deborah Pfeiffer.

14 August 2013

Stolen Sign Returned After 40 Years

Oliver British Columbia - A sign that went missing from the historic Canadian Pacific Railway Station years ago has been returned to its former home.
 
Rhoda Brooks, the Oliver tourist manager, said on Tuesday, Jack Bennest, editor of the Oliver Daily News, returned the heavy Oliver sign that once hung at the station.
 
"It is the original sign that was apparently stolen years ago," she said.
 
According to Bennest, the sign was dropped off at the Oliver Daily News by a person who stated it was time for this to be returned. It had been taken in the early 1970s and stored in a basement all these years.
 
The location the sign was returned to is an Oliver landmark. Construction on the station began in 1921 and it closed in 1980. It was repaired and refurbished by the town and now serves as the Oliver Visitor Centre.
 
Brooks said people often bring in finds from the past. Getting the old sign back is a big thrill, she added.
 
"It's always exciting to receive a treasure from the past, because once history is gone, it is gone for good," she said. "Right now we are still deciding where to put the sign up."
 
Deborah Pfeiffer.

Vancouver Island
British Columbia
Canada