Could it be? Has Quasimodo left the Notre Dame bell tower for the greener pastures of Queen's Park? Probably not, but someone did steal the Norths' beloved gargoyle from the porch of their Queen's Park home.
The Norths' gargoyle - named Al - disappeared from the porch on Aug. 5. While the family and police have been checking pawnshops and online vendors like Craigslist, Steven North says he doesn't think Al was stolen to make some quick cash.
North says the day before Al was stolen he was working outside in his front yard, when a young couple, in their mid-20s, walked past. The young man stopped to tell North he thought the gargoyle was lovely before continuing down the street.
"I thought, 'Man, he's got good eyes,' because when I stand there - I missing
mean, I'm a little older - but when I'm standing there looking over, it's not something you can (easily see).
"It certainly didn't stand out like a sore thumb," he added.
Al is a large gargoyle, almost two feet tall, weighs almost 60 pounds and is a goldbrass colour. He's been sitting on the front porch of the Norths' home at 520 Fourth St. for
more than two years, and up until a few weeks ago nothing had ever happened to Al.
"When you've got anything on your porch, you're running the possibility of someone liking it more than you or thinking it should be theirs," he said.
North didn't think too much about the comment made by the young man, but by the next morning it was all he could think of.
"I got up in the morning and got into my car, and as I'm reversing my car out of the driveway, I thought 'What's
wrong with this picture?' And I looked and I thought, 'I can't believe it, the gargoyle's gone,'" he said.
While North isn't accusing the young man of stealing his gargoyle, he does think it's an "awfully weird" coincidence.
"I just have a feeling he kind of liked it and he's going to keep it," he said.
Now North and his wife, who received Al as a Christmas gift from family a number
of years ago, are hoping someone will spot the missing gargoyle and return him home safely.
"I'm hoping that (the thief) is stupid enough to put it in his garden and ... if somebody would see it, that would be great," he said.
Anyone with information on Al the missing gargoyle is asked to contact the New Westminster Police Department at 604-525-5411.
