Missing women memorial, 'Living Stones,' excised from sidewalk

A controversial memorial project honouringVancouver's missing women that involved installing sidewalk plaques with victim'snames, has been removed.

City of Vancouver officials say some of the families of women wanted no part of the 'Living Stones'project.

The original concept was that 62 plaques would be installed in the last-known locations of the missing and murdered women. In 2013 the project fell apart, after only four stones were laid.

GeorgePapinvisited his sister's plaque once or twice a month. Helays tobacco and says a prayer.

He was shocked and saddened when the plaquedisappeared about two weeks ago.

"I treasured the memorial as it was a part of me, just like my sister,"Papinsaid.

"And now they take it away."

Bronze plaques bearing the names ofGeorginaPapin, BrendaWolfeandMarnieFreywere installed in a sidewalk in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver in 2012.

The city of Vancouver took over the project after the non-profit society that started it dissolved.

One of the original organizers, Sean Kirkham, became embroiled in controversy after a CBC News Investigation revealed the man behind the commemorative stones project had a criminal history, had left a trail of unpaid bills and at the time was facing fraud and theft charges in B.C. and Quebec.

Kirkhamplead guilty to sixcharges unrelated to the 'Living Stones' project and was sentenced to eight months house arrest in Vancouver.

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City staff said they had been working to "resolve issues" around the project. The founders originally indicated it had been endorsed by all the families and the Downtown Eastside community.

"Unfortunately, we later discovered that there was not consensus from the community or from the women's families regarding this project," Jason Watson said in a statement.

"Given the lack of consensus, it was determined in spring 2015that the few plaques that were installed would be removed and noadditional ones would be installed."

City seeks contact information

Watson said the city is working to obtain contact details for thefamilies to see if they want the plaques sent to them, adding thenon-profit previously refused to provide that information.

In a written statement Watson urged people to help the city connect with all families affected, adding:

"The Cityacknowledgesthe tragedy of the missing and murdered women and the devastating impact this has had on their families, friends and loved ones. We are deeply sorry for their loss, and have been working to resolve thisin a waythat acknowledges and respects the wishes ofthefamilies."

Papin, who lives in Pemberton, said city officials had notcontacted him. The otherfamilies could not immediately bereached, but a woman who identified herself as Wolfe's daughterAngel said on Facebook that the city had been in touch and wasplanning to send families the plaques.

Frey's father Rick was quoted in the Vancouver Sun in 2013 assaying that he didn't want the plaque in the ground with "peoplewalking over it and spitting on" it.

Serial killer RobertPickton is serving a life sentence for the second-degree murdersof six women.

Pickton spent years hunting and killing womenin Vancouver.

Twenty other charges against him were not proceededwith including in the death of Cara Ellis.

A 'Living Stone' plaque laid in another location in Vancouver'sdowntown core that honoured Ellis has not yet been removed.

Project founderSean Faludi (formerly known as Sean Kirkham)strongly denied the city'sallegations. He said he provided permission letters from all but oneof the families and had never refused to hand over contact details.

Faludi said he only learned on Saturday that the stones had beenremoved.

"What astounds me is the callousness of the way these stoneshave been treated," he said. "It's rather heartbreaking to knowthat a project that was associated with my name is kind of brushedunder the trash can."