“It’s a low-grade jade, not a million-dollar boulder, but to the shop and my family it’s a priceless landmark of B.C.,” Roy said.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED
December 20, 2020 - 12:53 PM
Since 1985 a 2,850 slice of B.C. jade has sat outside Cariboo Jade and Gifts in Cache Creek, offering a backdrop of countless tourists’ photos.
Last night, however, thieves took on the task of removing the local landmark.
At 11:55 p.m. Dec. 19, the jade boulder was stolen from the front of the shop. It was last seen in an older (2000-ish) two-tone grey/blue Dodge pickup pulling a flat deck trailer with an orange excavator with a small wide bucket on it heading towards Kamloops.
Heidi Roy, whose mom and uncle own the shop said someone saw the theft and followed the truck for several kilometres and while they didn’t get it back, she hopes someone else will.
“It’s a low-grade jade, not a million-dollar boulder, but to the shop and my family it’s a priceless landmark of B.C.,” she said.
“The value is in the boulder as a whole. It’s only worth something as a complete piece.”
The dollar value of the boulder mined from Dease Lake, she said, will plummet dramatically if someone attempts to break it into smaller pieces.
Roy is hoping to spread the word and has already turned to social media for help. People have been helpful sharing the post as the rock has a lot of sentimental value to many.
“It has a distinctive shape, and recognizable to anyone,” she said. “It sat in front of the store for so long and there are pictures of it worldwide.”
If you have any information Roy asks you call the RCMP or the store.
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