Historic plaque at Phil Esposito park among those no longer on display

A plaque placed in 1981 to commemorate Phil Esposito at a park bearing his name no longer sits atop a podium adjacent to the outdoor rink at that site.

The plaque could be the latest in a series that have apparently gone missing within the last month, a series of events the Sault Museum executive director called disrespectful.

The most recently discovered missing plaque was presented by the City of Sault Ste. Marie over 40 years ago to commemorate the park where the former NHL star and coach played his first game. Esposito was the first player in the league to score more than 100 points in a season, a feat he achieved five times in his career. He was named one of the 100 greatest NHL players in history in a 2017 ranking by the league.

Because it was discovered over the weekend, SooToday is unable to confirm with the city if it was removed by parks staff.

Late last month, the local Branch 25 of the Royal Canadian Legion confirmed a bronze casting was missing of the citation William Merrifield received when he was awarded the British Empire's highest military honour for his contributions in the First World War. The irreplaceable casting had been situated for years on a pedestal near the cenotaph, directly in front of the Sault Ste. Marie Courthouse.

Last week, two other historical plaques located nearby have also been noticed missing: one in front of the Bell building on Queen Street at Ron Francis Way and another nearby at the International Lot, commemorating the former location of the International Hotel.

Sault Museum executive director William Hollingshead told SooToday on Friday that an inventory of historical plaques across the city will be completed in the near future.

Hollingshead said at the time he doesn't believe the plaques have been removed for cleaning or restoration.

Chelsey Foucher, spokesperson for the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service said on Friday the department has not received any official reports of plaques being stolen within the last 30 days.

"We are not currently investigating any reported thefts or mischief complaints regarding historical plaques," said Foucher.