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Search for missing stone still stone cold

This engraved piece of granite was stolen from out front of The Gathering Place. Photo submitted. It’s been almost two weeks since thieves stole The Gathering Place’s granite, and Celine de Grosbois hopes the culprits will return it soon.

This engraved piece of granite was stolen from out front of The Gathering Place. Photo submitted.

It’s been almost two weeks since thieves stole The Gathering Place’s granite, and Celine de Grosbois hopes the culprits will return it soon.

De Grosbois, chairman of the board for the North Bay soup kitchen, said the granite was much more than just a piece of stone.

The piece was donated to The Gathering Place by EG Dent and Sons and Callander Industries, and it had the kitchen’ name and logo engraved on it.

“It’s a beautiful piece of granite and we thought it would look nice out in front, de Groisbois said.

“It is a lovely gift and certainly dignified our building.”

De Groisbois believes the granite went missing Remembrance Day evening.

“It was probably at night when the cabbies weren’t parked here.”

Ironically it was Gary Dent, president of EG Dent and Sons, who noticed the granite was missing.

“My wife and I drove past just to see how it’s standing and she said to me ‘it looks like it was taken out for some reason,’” Dent said.

“I figured it had to be two or three people because when we installed it we poured in two bags of concrete so it would be nice and stable.”

De Groisbois has reported the theft to the North Bay Police Service, but the stone still remains at large.

“I just hope it’s not rotting in some kid’s back yard,” de Groisbois said.

The stone is worth about $500, and The Gathering Place’s insurance has a $450 deductible, de Groisbois said, “so we won’t be replacing it.”

But Dent said he will if it’s not recovered soon; while Callander Industries supplied the stone, Dent and an employee of his company did the carving.

“And we’d be happy to do it again.”