Stolen lion statues recovered and returned to Calgary family
A pair of treasured, decorative lion statues stolen from in front of a Calgary home earlier this month are headed back where they belong after being discovered next to a dumpster.
Calgary police were notified about the two, metre-tall lions, weighing about 100 pounds each, on Thursday, and they were being returned to rightful owner Rebecca Pham.
"I started crying immediately, my mom and I were bawling," she said.
"The police called me and said, 'We think we found your lions' and they sent me a picture and it was my lions."
Pham said the lions were noticed about a week ago by someone living at the condo building, who at first didn't think much about them.
"They didn't put two-and-two together then they were talking with a friend and told them about the lions and the friend said, 'Hey, those were on the news.'"
The statues have adorned Pham's family homes in Ontario and now Alberta for nearly 30 years.
He dad acquired them in 1984, before Pham was born, and they were the only things salvaged after the family's home was destroyed in a fire that claimed the life of her older brother — who was 13 at the time — following the Ontario ice storms in 1998.
Rather than be put back where they were, Pham said she is going to move the lions to the back yard.
"There's a little bit of damage, some scuff marks and some paint missing, but nothing that can't be fixed," she said.
"Those lions are sturdy and strong. I feel so relieved, a weight has been lifted off my shoulders."
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.