Theft of ferry captain's uniform from Wood Islands Lighthouse Museum 'very upsetting'

A theft at the Wood Islands Lighthouse Museum in P.E.I. has RCMP searching for a stolen ferry captain's uniform. The gold-trimmed black jacket and matching white cap were stolen July 27.

The uniform belongs to an 86-year-old retired ferry captain who lives down the road from the lighthouse

Stephanie vanKampen · CBC News · Posted: Jul 31, 2019 6:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 31, 2019

The uniform that was stolen was worn by ferry captain Malcolm MacLean during his career crossing the Northumberland Strait. (Stephanie vanKampen/CBC)

A theft at the Wood Islands Lighthouse Museum has P.E.I. RCMP searching for a stolen ferry captain's uniform. The gold-trimmed black jacket and matching white cap were stolen July 27.

Interim manager of the non-profit gift shop and museum Gloria Shaw said thieves must have broken in through the kitchen window in the middle of the night.

She and the other employees discovered the break-in Sunday morning when they noticed a marble ashtray, along with an old lamp and the uniform were missing.

'Disappointed'

The case it hung in was torn off the wall and the uniform was gone. The thieves also packed a number of other items from the gift shop into bags, but left them there. They left a note in the guest book in scratchy handwriting that read, "You've been robbed."

The uniform had been hanging in a glass display case inside the museum since it opened nine years ago. It was on loan from retired ferry captain Malcolm MacLean. The 86-year-old still lives just down the road, in Little Sands.

This glass display case was torn off the wall and the uniform taken. (Stephanie vanKampen/CBC)

"I was kind of disappointed to hear that it was stolen or missing," said MacLean.

"It'll likely not ever show up again either, I don't imagine."

Malcolm MacLean, a retired ferry captain, still lives down the road from the ferry in Wood Islands. (Stephanie vanKampen/CBC)

MacLean said the uniform is special to him. He wore it during his 41-year career crossing the Northumberland Strait on a ferry called the Charles A. Dunning — starting as a dockhand in 1957 and eventually working his way up to captain.

After four decades, he hung up his hat, and loaned it to the Wood Islands Lighthouse Museum.

Why a P.E.I. man built a lighthouse in his yard

'No one's ever touched the place before'

The uniform hung in the museum untouched for nine years.

"It was very, very upsetting," said Shaw.

"I'm going to get teary. We're very attached to this place, it's like our second home, and it made us really feel violated."

The Charles A. Dunning ferry crossed the Northumberland Strait from Wood Islands between 1946 and 1964. (Stephanie vanKampen/CBC)

Lighthouse staff are left wondering why. They say the items stolen are of no value to anyone else.

"It's worth a lot to this lighthouse, to this museum, to the people who come visit here," said Shaw.

"The value would be priceless," she said, speaking of the uniform.

Gloria Shaw has worked at the museum since it opened in 2010. (Stephanie vanKampen/CBC)

The uniform is priceless, but not one of a kind. MacLean has another uniform just like it from his years on the boats.

He said he'll think long and hard before he lends it out.

"Somebody would likely steal them," said MacLean. "I wouldn't want to lose them all."

Retired ferry captain Malcolm MacLean loaned his jacket and cap to the museum in 2010. (Stephanie vanKampen/CBC)

RCMP are asking the public to call Crime Stoppers if they have any information about the crime or if they spot the uniform.

In the meantime, Shaw said the lighthouse is shelling out hundreds of dollars to install security cameras, so that a crime like this one doesn't happen again.