Another plaque commemorating a widely respected figure in Sault Ste. Marie has disappeared.
Tracy's Dream Memorial Bench, which overlooks the St. Marys River near the former Mill Market, no longer bears its sentimental marker after a suspected theft occurred at the site in recent days.
The pink bench’s plaque was installed in 2017 in honour of Tracy Dinelle, a Sault resident who formed the Tracy’s Dream foundation that raises money to cover parking passes for Sault Area Hospital cancer patients.
She lost her battle to breast cancer the year before the bench was established, but the organization has remained active thanks to the support of family and loved ones — raising tens of thousands of dollars since.
Dinelle’s husband Dennis took to social media on Tuesday morning to break the news.
“It’s disheartening to see something meant to be sacred treated with such disrespect,” he wrote. “We will be replacing the plaque soon. In the meantime, we’ll be refreshing the area with a new coat of paint and a general cleanup on Thursday.”
Family members of a volunteer with Tracy’s Dream noticed the plaque was missing while visiting the bench near the end of last week.
Provided by the Lion’s Club of Sault Ste. Marie seven years ago, the missing plaque on the recognized riverside bench is just the latest in a string of thefts and peculiar incidents this summer.
A plaque commemorating Phil Esposito at the park that bears his name, as well as a bronze casting of the citation of First World War hero William Merrifield, both went missing in recent weeks.
In early July, two other historical plaques also disappeared: 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.
Dinelle is hoping whoever has been involved in these occurrences is found and held accountable.
“It’s sad that things have come to this point,” he told SooToday. “I didn’t realize there were other plaques being taken around the city. I don’t get it. We get graffiti over time to freshen it up, but certainly not to this state.”
While he’s disappointed with the situation, Dinelle is happy to share that another like-minded foundation has stepped up to help.
Breast Friends Sault Ste. Marie, a local group of women who provided free goodie bags for 200 cancer patients travelling to Sudbury for treatments, has agreed to completely replace the plaque.
“We’re so grateful for the support,” he said. "Tracy inspired a lot of people, and a lot of people go down there to sit, reflect, and re-energize some positiveness in their lives. We want to keep it there for all those purposes."
The original plaque includes a quote from Tracy that reads:
“Every day love and cherish each other and do something nice for someone each day. Life is short, love each other and smile for this will make my journey a happy one, Love Tracy."
Since January, Tracy’s Dream has spent $24,000 on parking passes for cancer patients this year.
SooToday has reached out to Sault Police for more information on this incident, as well as the ongoing string of mysterious plaque disappearances.