CHANNEL-PORT AUX BASQUES, N.L. — Chris Farrell loved the outdoors, and it’s there on a spot on the Grand Bay West Trail in Port aux Basques that his family chose to honour him.
Farrell died on Jan. 5, 2011 after he was struck by a car while walking on High Street in Port aux Basques.
About seven years ago, his mother, Donna Elms, had a bench with a plaque placed at a lookout on the trail.
The memorial was recently vandalized, and his family and friends feel devastated.
Elms wasn’t up to talking about the incident.
Kristin Savery, a friend of her son’s since they were children and the girlfriend of his cousin, Joshua Ingram, said it was just too difficult for her.
Savery said the family found out about the broken plaque on Monday when a friend stopped to take a break while walking on the trail.
“And they noticed the plaque put together on the bridge.”
Since then they’ve learned that three young people collected pieces of the plaque scattered around the area last Thursday, pieced them together and placed them on the bridge.
No one knows for sure how long the plaque had been broken because the weather hasn’t been the greatest for trail users. Savery said it’s possible that anyone who did notice that the plaque was not in the bench may have just thought it hadn’t been put in yet.
The bench, which is constructed so the plaque fits in a slot so it’s locked into place, is always stored inside during the winter.
“They actually pulled it out of the bench and destroyed it,” said Savery.
“It was disgusting. I don’t know if upsetting covers it. It was disgusting. Because honestly, if you can do something like that, then you can go to a graveyard and destroy a grave.”
Farrell had done some work on the trail before his death, so that makes the vandalism hit harder.
“If you could only see the spot, it’s beautiful, it’s peaceful there,” said Savery.
The plaque is not the only part of the memorial to have been touched. Memorial rocks that Savery painted last year and put family photos on have also gone missing. The last time she knows they were there was June 13.
“So, we’re not sure if the plaque was demolished at the same time or if that was something they came back and did at a later date.”
She doesn't know if the plaque will be replaced, as there is concern it could be vandalized again.
“Chris was a really nice guy. He was funny. He had a lot of friends,” said Savery, adding the vandalism is a “real slap in the face,” especially for Farrell’s mom.
Shauna Strickland, recreation director and economic development officer with the Town of Port aux Basques, said the town was saddened to learn of the vandalism.
The town allowed the Elms to dedicate the lookout site to her son and worked with her to put the lookout there.
“That’s something we’ve done along the trail with numerous families,” said Strickland. “We’re just devastated. The fact that somebody would do something so personal to someone else.
“The town put that trail in there for everyone to enjoy. It’s just so sad to see vandalism to that magnitude there.”
Strickland said such actions are not tolerated and the town is investigating to find out what happened. She said that as far as she knows, the family has not reported the incident to the police.
Twitter: @WS_DianeCrocker