Eagles, snakes, and nukes: the quirkiest B.C. tales of 2016

There was no shortage of the outlandish in 2016, and British Columbians had their fair share of quirky stories. From a million-dollar heist to the potential discovery of a long-lost nuclear bomb, here's are some of the year's most peculiar tales.

Million-dollar golden eagle heist

It might be bizarre enough that a $7-million solid gold eagle statue encrusted with diamonds and emeralds even exists in Ladner, B.C., but then the eagle was stolen in a street scuffle between the eagle's owner, Ron Shore, and two unknown assailants in May.

Later on, critics pointed out discrepancies surrounding the value of the eagle, the number of attackers and the circumstances of the attack.

Shore defended himself at a press conference, and offered a $10,000 reward for information.

The eagle is still missing, but a spokesperson for Delta Police say they are still investigating the case. Shore had originally commissioned the piece to raise money for cancer but had yet to sell it.

Diver thinks he's found lost nuke

In October, diver Sean Smyrichinsky was checking out the waters around Banks Island off B.C.'s North Coast when he came across a mysterious object shaped like a "bagel cut in half."

After some digging, Smyrichinsky connected his find to the story of a U.S. Air Force bomber which crashed into the northern B.C. wilderness in 1950. The Convair B-36B had been carrying a Mark IV bomb dummy capsule, yet the object was mysteriously missing from the crash site.

The Canadian Navy went did a follow up investigation a few weeks later with remote operated vehicles. It determined the object Smyrichinsky found was not a bomb, but rather a large piece of industrial equipment.

Philosopher receives posted package of poo

This story is depraved as well as bizarre. In July, University of British Columbia professor Carrie Ichikawa Jenkins was shocked to receive — via post — a package of feces.

Similar packages were addressed and mailed to professors in New York, Massachusetts and California over the past year. Jenkins turned her package of poo over to RCMP for investigation.

Suspicion fell onto Nietzchean scholar and University of Chicago professor Brian Leiter. Leiter, who was the editor of a prominent philosophy website, Philosophical Gourmet Report, had publicly fought with all four victims.

He, in turn, strongly denied the allegations, but since stepped down as editor.

The assailant is still unknown.

Crews spend week attempting to capture snake

City crews in Victoria spent more than a week this August trying to capture a five foot corn snake which had moved into a storm sewer pipe.

Workers found the snake hidden in the drain, shedding its skin.

After a week of close monitoring, crews used traps, dead mice, and heat pads to finally coax the elusive reptile out. City officials said they believed it was an escaped pet.

Town offers $5K reward to find doctor

In March, the town of Scotch Creek in B.C.'s Interior got so desperate to bring a doctor to town, they resorted to offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who can help them find a doctor.

The North Shuswap Health Care Society vice-president Jay Simpson, who organized the campaign, said no one has taken up the offer yet.

"We've talked to a couple [of doctors]. We've had one that's come and visited the community to take a look," he said.

"I would say that my optimism is running around 50 per cent right now." 

The 2,300 people who live year-round in the North Shuswap have been without a physician since September 2014.