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Thieves lift a piece of history

A piece of history was lifted by thieves off a property on Green Mountain Road on Thursday.

A piece of history was lifted by thieves off a property on Green Mountain Road on Thursday.

Property owner Kelly O’Beirn is hoping someone will be able to help track down two barn doors from the last standing barn from the 1902 stagecoach run from Kelowna to Hedley. O’Beirn believes they were taken between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. She said this is a heritage structure located near the cut off to Apex Mountain Road that is enjoyed by hundreds of tourists every year.

“That is a piece of history and you wouldn’t believe the amount of people that drive by and stop to take pictures. It is a pretty cute little tourist attraction,” said O’Beirn. “It is an old log barn, but the doors were definitely part of its structure and character. With the amount of traffic going up to Apex right now somebody had to have seen something. It surprises me that it was actually this week that this happened.”

The doors are solid wood, about seven to eight feet tall and three to four feet wide with wrought iron where you open them. O’Beirn said the barn has been kept in its original state due to the number of tourists who pass by. When it was functional on the stagecoach run, it was used to store horses, as a hotel was located across the street.

“This barn belongs to us on our property, it is not there for the taking. I’m hoping that someone feels guilty enough to give them back. It is not part of their history, it is for everyone to enjoy and that is why we didn’t touch the barn because of it. It is beautiful wood believe me,” said O’Beirn.

A police report has been filed with the Penticton RCMP, anyone with information or who knows the whereabouts of the doors can contact the RCMP at 250-492-4300 or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.