Cliff and Louise Johnson locked an engraved padlock on a small piece of fence by Henderson Lake in October to mark their 30th wedding anniversary.
“I said, I’ve got one thing I’ve got to do sweetheart, we parked and we walked along,” said Cliff Johnson. “We put our lock on the fence and we locked our love forever.”
It has been 10 months since the couple locked their love on the fence and just last month, on a bike ride, Cliff noticed that their lock, along with 60 other locks had been removed from the fence.
The fence is located on a quiet path along Henderson Lake, and for over five years, lovers’, young and old, have come to the fence to hang a symbol lock.
A spokesperson for the City of Lethbridge said they received complaints about the locks being unsightly and removed more than 60 of them from the fence that borders the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden.
“When our lock went missing we said we can track these down somehow,” Louise Johnson said.
Recognizing the significance of the locks, the city did not throw them out; instead they gave them to Cliff and Louise. The Johnsons have now made it their mission to reunite the locks with their lovers.
“They’re not going to be thrown out,” said Louise. “Someone is going to have them.”
Like love itself, the Johnson’s efforts have taken time, with 62 locks still unclaimed. The couple is hopeful that soon there will be a new home for the locks of love in Lethbridge. The city has been working to try to find a proper spot where lovers can hang the symbolic locks.
Cliff and Louise are hopeful that they will reunite the locks with their rightful owners. If you think you may have a lock that was cut, and you would like it to be returned, you can visit the Locks of Love Lethbridge Facebook page.
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