Iconic lion statues stolen from Red Lion pub in West Vancouver

Two iconic lion statues were stolen from outside the Red Lion Bar and Grill in Dundarave in West Vancouver. Mario Corsi, the pub’s owner and general manager, expressed deep dismay over the incident in an interview. The theft took place on Friday around 11 pm.

“We are all extremely upset about what happened,” Corsi said lamented.

The theft has left Corsi bewildered, as this has never happened in the two decades the lions stood outside the pub. “We never fixed them to the base because we never thought that someone would want to steal them. They have been here for 20 years,” Corsi explained.

Corsi emphasized that the sentimental value of the statues far outweighs any monetary loss. “I mean, you know, to replace the lions, it’s no big deal. Maybe it will be a couple of $100 each. It’s not the money but the sentimental value. They have been here for 20 years.”

Corsi first realized the statues were missing on Saturday. “In the afternoon, somebody told me that the lions were gone, and I was like, what do you mean?” he recounted. Despite the theft, Corsi has not yet reported the incident to the police. He hopes someone with information about the statues’ whereabouts will come forward. “If someone knows, they can get back to us,” Corsi said. They can call for Mario at the Red Lion pub, and I will wait for a week or two and then replace them.”

Corsi says he is saddened by the theft, something he didn’t expect to happen in West Vancouver.

“I just feel very sad…We had little kids that would come in and they would take a picture with the lions,” Corsi said. “Everybody points to them and ‘oh look at the lions,’ and we survived COVID and the snowstorm, and now some Yahoo has taken them. It’s sad, very sad.”

Please call The Red Lion Bar and Grill at 604-926-8838 if you have any information.