Missing bench mystery stumps cancer survivor
Nearly 4 years have passed since Wayne Beecroft discovered a commemorative bench he purchased through the city had gone missing.
Beecroft bought the bench after his mother Dorothy passed away from cancer 17 years ago.
“It was a memorial bench to my mom and it’s gone so I’d like to find out what happened to it.”
Beecroft is a cancer survivor himself, and says he originally paid upwards of $500 to have the bench made in his mother’s honour. The retiree says at the time, he paid for two benches, to have one for himself as a bit of a joke. “There was no mention at the time when I purchased the 2 benches that there would be any time limit on them or anything of that nature.”
His bench remains, but a cement slab sits where his mother’s one stood.
Beecroft says he’d like some answers after no success navigating city hall. “You’re dealing with departments in the city and nothing against them, it’s just that things don’t get done as smoothly as they should.”
Ward 7 councillor Jeewen Gill tells CTV News the bench may have fallen into a state of disrepair and possibly removed for safety concerns. Gill explains staff have been replacing aging commemorative benches with new wooden benches with built-in plaques.
“Hopefully if they have correct information in the system they will always contact the person who placed that bench.”
Gill says city staff try to contact the person/s responsible for a commemorative bench when it is being replaced or moved, noting each ward in Windsor has close to 80 various types of recreational benches.
“It may be past the year, the age of the bench and at that time the city may have taken it off due to liability issues.”
CTV News has contacted The City of Windsor’s Parks and Recreation department where staff say they are looking into the matter and hope to have a resolution in the coming days.
Beecroft says he just wants to honour his mother by keeping her memory alive.
“I think to be fair they should just put the bench back, I mean it’s been 3 years!”
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