Mr. Speaker, Canadians in Vancouver Quadra and across the country are aghast at the theft from the Museum of Anthropology at UBC of gold artwork by the late Haida artist Bill Reid. The late Bill Reid, a native artist rooted in the Pacific northwest, is one of Canada's most important artists of the 20th century.
The 12 works by Reid displayed in the showcases included bracelets, brooches and cufflinks. It is their cultural value more than their monetary value that makes the disappearance of these works of art such a great loss.
Though the RCMP is conducting an investigation, it is still a very real possibility that this artwork could be lost forever. On behalf of my constituents and the people of Canada, I call on the government to match the $50,000 reward offered by the University of British Columbia for information leading to the intact recovery of these cultural treasures.