Like déjà vu, one of the Gage Park turtles has gone missing — again

Life truly is like clockwork.

If this spring is reminding you more and more of the first lockdown last year, a stroll through Gage Park in the last few days might have evoked feelings of deja vu.

Another member of the bronze turtle family that calls the Gage Park fountain home appears to have been stolen once again - less than a year after one of its own, lovingly known as Terry," was inexplicably taken and then quietly returned.

The 20-pound turtle - one of four at the sprawling 1920s-era fountain - has been missing from its stone sunning spot since at least Thursday afternoon. A Spectator reporter happened to be walking through the park Thursday before noticing the lustrous reptile's absence.

All that remained of it were all four of its setting screws and the pipe that carries water through to its mouth-spout.

The latest disappearance was news to David Beland, a longtime organizer with Friends of Gage Park, when he was reached by The Spectator Friday morning.

Usually, someone calls me," said Beland, noting fellow volunteers are often the first to spot issues at the East End park. It must have just happened within the last day or so."

The circumstances surrounding its disappearance remain shrouded in mystery, as the city could not confirm if the reptile had been stolen or simply needed repairing ahead of the fountain's reopening later this spring.

Beland believes the turtle was stolen, likely to sell it for scrap. But the reptile isn't the only thing that's disappeared from the park in recent months.

A bronze fish, which Beland described as an outlet plaque" on the lower part of the fountain, which looks toward Main Street East, went missing in early March - likely to the same fate, he added.

All the metal objects are being stolen everywhere," said Beland. It's pathetic."

The Gage Park fountain turtles are familiar to abuse after enduring decades of mistreatment at the hands of residents. They've been covered with spray paint, people have tried to saw off their heads while others have tried to stuff their mouth-spouts with sticks.

One of the turtles was also stolen back in 1996 - and then returned in the dead of night, after a month or so of community outrage" and the impending wrath of East End justice," said Beland in a previous interview.

If it was stolen again, the person who made off with it had to have put in a pretty good effort," Beland said Friday. If the presumed reptile raider was hoping to make a profit, they'll likely be disappointed.

Any of this stuff isn't worth a lot of money," he said, noting they'd likely come back with only a few" dollars if they were able to get scrapped. It costs a lot more to replace it."

The exact cost of hatching a new turtle is unknown - but 20 years ago, the insurance replacement value was about $3,600.

A city spokesperson confirmed an order is in for a replacement turtle" - they have a mould on hand in the event of a disappearance.

Still, the reptile's supposed theft is saddening, said Beland.

It's part of our history and it should be maintained as such," he said. It's important to all of us."

Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com