St Andrew’s, Trail
An attempted theft of copper cladding from the steeple of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Trail, took place just before midnight on November 2024. The church’s watchman had heard strange noises coming from the belfry and called the police.
When Officers arrived they discovered a man on the roof. According to church warden Marnie Jacobsen, the officer checked to see if the climber was safe.
The man was taken into custody; finding no immediate damage, the church decided not to press charges, even though the congregation was left with a costly repair bill.
The next day, church members noticed a section of copper cladding on the steeple was dangling precariously, alongside on what appeared to be a rope.
According to a BC RCMP bulletin, metal theft, fuelled by high global demand and rising prices, is a growing problem. Thieves target everything from catalytic converters and boat propellers to streetlamp wires and, as seen in Trail, copper cladding on a church steeple.
These crimes often cause more financial damage than the value of the stolen metal.
The church must first get insurance approval, which requires a crane to assess the damage. And even with approved coverage, the church faces a $2,500 deductible.
The question for the Church council is if they should replace the damaged roof with more copper just to risk it being stolen again, or reinforce it with something less valuable?
Thieves are often driven by drug addiction. A moral question for the church.
J. Friesen, who sent the information about the theft to The HighWay, asked the following question: “If your parish is dealing with this kind of issue, how are you dealing with it?
Contact St Andrew’s at [email protected]”
