Thieves have stolen several historical and cherished plaques that celebrate a slice of Calgary history and the famed home of wrestling legend Stu Hart and his family. Read More
’Do the right thing. Return them so they can be brought back to the Hart House . . . where they belong’
‘Do the right thing. Return them so they can be brought back to the Hart House . . . where they belong’
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Thieves have stolen several historical and cherished plaques that celebrate a slice of Calgary history and the famed home of wrestling legend Stu Hart and his family.
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Four bronze plaques that were secured to brick pillars at the entrance of the 5,600-square-foot Hart House were taken in mid-June — an act that also left damage to the pillars.
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“For years, people came here and had their pictures taken in front of the plaques,” said Brooke Hart, one of the 39 grandchildren of Stu and Helen Hart. “People used to come from all over and pose in front of them.
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“(The plaques) are the only thing that tied Stu to the house,” she said. “That’s how people knew and recognized the house, and now there’s nothing of those plaques left.”
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Brooke’s mother, Alison Hart, noted the history of the house is a rich one, representing a key chapter in the story of Calgary.
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“The people who came out of that house, the people who entered it . . . the stories are endless,” said Alison. “When you take away part of the house, you’re taking away the history . . . and those people who did this have no right to do so.”
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One of Alison’s brothers, Ross Hart, said the family is now asking whoever took the plaques to return them.
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The thefts have been reported to the Calgary Police Service. Ross is also talking to neighbours in the area regarding CCTV and video surveillance. While the house was once quite isolated, in more recent years condos have been constructed nearby.
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Ross believes the plaques were installed more than half a century ago when the family renovated the yard and an accompanying horseshoe-shaped driveway. Each end of the driveway had two brick pillars with plaques; one plaque read “Hart House” and the other said “Foothills Athletic Club,” the company name Stu used for his business.
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Alison noted that their father Stu had the plaques custom-made, with the business plaque depicting two wrestlers.
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“You can’t replace that kind of thing,” she said.
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Ross added, “There’s a lot of historical value in these plaques . . . It’s really sad; it’s unfortunate that somebody would steal them either in an act of vandalism or to profit by trying to sell them.
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“We would certainly like to urge them or appeal to them to just return the plaques, no questions asked,” said Ross. Anyone who has information about the theft can also contact Calgary police.
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“We’d like to see them back in the rightful hands,” said Ross, adding that there’s no rationale in the theft since anyone who sees the items will know they are stolen and thus they can’t be displayed.
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“They don’t belong with somebody else,” he said. “They belong with the house, which is an historical landmark.”
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While the Patterson Heights house is now owned by a family who wishes to remain anonymous, neighbours say wrestling fans still occasionally drive by to take photos with the plaques.
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The house was bought by Stu and Helen in 1951 and owned by them for 52 years, during which time they raised 12 children. The basement of the home was used for wrestling training, earning the nickname of The Dungeon.
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Stu eventually created the wildly popular Stampede Wrestling in 1948. He trained a myriad of athletes, including sons Bret and Owen Hart, while becoming one of Calgary’s most colourful characters and local celebrities.
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“Back then, Stampede Wrestling put Calgary on the map,” said Alison, recalling that while growing up it was common for the family to see wrestling fans show up at their home unannounced. “People came from around the world.”
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After Stu died in 2003 and Helen died in 2001, their children eventually decided to put the home up for sale. It was valued at about $2 million at the time. Stu and Helen had bought the house for $25,000.
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In 2012, the Hart House was declared a heritage site, with many people in the wrestling community noting that the importance of the home in the history of wrestling can’t be overstated.
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The family that now owns the house has been welcoming to the Hart family over the years and respects the historical significance of the property.
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“They want (the plaques) back,” said Brooke. “It really is a part of Calgary’s history and the legacy of the home.”
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As Ross stated, “Do the right thing. Return them so they can be brought back to the Hart House . . . where they belong.”
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The theft of bronze plaques in many cities isn’t uncommon. In Calgary in 2022, war memorial plaques were stolen from the Hangar Flight Museum and 300 bronze memorial plaques were taken from Queen’s Park cemetery. Metal recyclers helped police lay charges in that case.
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