Jacques Villeneuve calls thieves of late father's bronze monument soulless idiots
Jacques Villeneuve, the son of late Canadian Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, is lashing out at thieves who stole a bronze statue of his father from outside a Quebec museum in his honour, calling them "idiots."
The younger Villeneuve, 53, also a celebrated F1 driver, posted a video to social media on the weekend saying he has had trouble sleeping since learning of the theft. In an accompanying message he describes the culprits as "shameless, soulless beings" who "do not deserve to be called humans."
The five-foot-three-inch bronze statue was stolen sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning from a podium in front of the Gilles Villeneuve Museum in Berthierville, Que., about 70 kilometres northeast of Montreal.
A $12,000 reward has been offered for the return of the statue, which can be dropped off at a number of locations in the Berthierville area with no questions asked.
Quebec provincial police said Monday they continue to investigate the theft.
Sgt. Éloïse Cossette said officers verified some tips over the weekend but have not found the missing statue, or made any arrests.
Authorities have been desperately trying to find the bronze statue, created in 1984 as a tribute to Gilles Villeneuve and displayed in front of the museum since 1994 in the town where he grow up. Locals fear it will be melted down and sold for cash.
The museum showcases trophies, racing gear and other items that belonged to Villeneuve, and attracts about 5,000 visitors per year. It's located on the street also named for the famed driver, but all that's left of the statue is a pair of bronze boots sawed at the ankles.
Gilles Villeneuve participated in 67 Formula One races from 1977 to 1982, winning six before he died in a crash at the age of 32 during a qualifying session for the Belgian Grand Prix.
"I can't understand what people can have in their heads or even in their hearts — if they have one," Jacques Villeneuve said in the post from Saturday. "To go and steal a monument … Gilles represented Canada, Quebec at the international level — there aren't many."
"That idiots are capable of such an act, I think they are people who don't have a heart or a brain, and it is shameful."
Authorities say that to steal a statue of that size at least two people would be required, with specialized equipment and a truck large enough to haul it off.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Donald Trump picks former U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra as ambassador to Canada
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has nominated former diplomat and U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra to be the American ambassador to Canada.
Genetic evidence backs up COVID-19 origin theory that pandemic started in seafood market
A group of researchers say they have more evidence to suggest the COVID-19 pandemic started in a Chinese seafood market where it spread from infected animals to humans. The evidence is laid out in a recent study published in Cell, a scientific journal, nearly five years after the first known COVID-19 outbreak.
This is how much money you need to make to buy a house in Canada's largest cities
The average salary needed to buy a home keeps inching down in cities across Canada, according to the latest data.
Canada's space agency invites you to choose the name of its first lunar rover
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is inviting Canadians to choose the name of the first Canadian Lunar Rover.
'My two daughters were sleeping': London Ont. family in shock after their home riddled with gunfire
A London father and son they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
Smuggler arrested with 300 tarantulas strapped to his body
Police in Peru have arrested a man caught trying to leave the country with 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants strapped to his body.
Boissonnault out of cabinet to 'focus on clearing the allegations,' Trudeau announces
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced embattled minister Randy Boissonnault is out of cabinet.
Baby dies after being reported missing in midtown Toronto: police
A four-month-old baby is dead after what Toronto police are calling a “suspicious incident” at a Toronto Community Housing building in the city’s midtown area on Wednesday afternoon.
Sask. woman who refused to provide breath sample did not break the law, court finds
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.