TRAMPING LAKE — The communities surrounding the village of Tramping Lake were stunned to learn that the St. Michael’s Cemetery was the location of a recent theft.
Sometime between Oct. 13 to 24, a marble stone bench was taken from its location along the north side of the cemetery. The bench, which weighs roughly 500 lbs., was placed in the cemetery alongside a second bench and the new columbarium this past September.
In an effort to help recover the missing bench, posts on social media platforms in the surrounding communities have gained a lot of attention, with many comments questioning who would steal from a cemetery.
Cemetery Committee member, Dan Tuchscherer, said there has been lots of suspicious activity in the Tramping Lake area, but he never thought the final resting place for many former residents would be the target for theft.
The missing bench was reported to the RCMP that said they had never heard of anything like this before, according to Tuchscherer. While the RCMP are keeping an eye out for the bench, surrounding communities and locals are urged to contact the Kindersley RCMP if they have any information.
Tuchscherer said he has seen an increase in patrols throughout the small village, but the committee has decided to step up security around St. Michael’s Cemetery by installing trail cameras. With winter coming, Tuchscherer said the committee will wait to see what happens before looking at replacing the seating area.
“Even if we get the bench back, we will have to wait until spring to properly reinstall it,” added Tuchscherer.
If you have any information regarding the missing bench, or any crimes in the Tramping Lake area, please contact the Kindersley RCMP at 306-463-4642.
