Tommy the Soldier will be noticeably absent from his spot atop Sarnia's Cenotaph for the next two months, as work is done to replace the replica rifle on the nearly 100-year-old statue.
The copper rifle was reported stolen in April, but a police investigation revealed it had actually been taken about a year and a half ago.
Sarnia Historical Society President Ron Realesmith said they had to pay for a crane to take the statue down, but said the city's Building and Construction Trades Council will be covering any additional expenses.
"Tommy the Soldier" statue is temporarily removed from the Sarnia Cenotaph to undergo repairs. 28 June 2021. (Photo by Sarnia Legion Branch 62)
"It's an atrocity what's occurred," said Realesmith. "Once again, I'm humbled and I'm blown away by the community stepping up and identifying that this is important for the community just as much as it is for myself. I'm just so overwhelmed and elated with all of the outpouring that we did have."
Realesmith said Sarnia's Memorial Restorations helped coordinate the effort, and the work is being done by Georgetown-based Artcast.
"They've advised that it would be a lot cleaner and a lot better of an environment if we actually took the soldier off of the top of the Cenotaph and delivered it to their facility. That way, they can cleanly, properly and safely reattach the rifle."
Tommy's new rifle is expected to be bronzed and anchored to prevent any future thefts.