Renfrew residents are happy their prized baby Jesus figurine has been returned to the crèche outside Renfrew Town Hall.
Tom Webster made the discovery around 8 a.m. Wednesday. He was arriving at work early and noticed something in the parking lot right beside the Renfrew Town Hall.
“There was some fresh snow here obviously. So I just noticed fresh tire tracks so it looks like someone came into parking lot dropped it and went away. “
Webster thought it was a bag of garbage but wanted to make sure. “I’m glad I found it! I texted my boys right away and they were excited. Because they were concerned about it also.”
The 45-centimetre figure made of paper mâché was stolen from the outdoor nativity scene at Low Square in front of Renfrew City Hall over the weekend. It took more than two months for a committee of 100 people to prepare the crèche.
Diana Wakely manages the nativity scene. It has been on display every year for 20 years. “It’s Renfrew’s Christmas miracle,” she says.
She is thankful for Webster was there to find the figurine, “it would have been very difficult if someone wasn’t being observant. They wouldn’t have seen him, but he saw him! And he brought us back to home.”
Wakely told CTV News at Six on Monday that this was not the first time Baby Jesus disappeared from the nativity scene. Wakely says someone decided to take the figure along to some New Year’s Eve parties three years ago, and it was eventually returned.
The Put Christ Back in Christmas Committee is relieved and happy to report baby Jesus will be back with the nativity scene in time for Christmas. Yet, Diana is jokingly considering a GPS after the figure has travelled away from its proper place at Renfrew Town Hall.
