Owner of lost then found ring, pays it forward

June 29, 2026 - Nanaimo, British Columbia
From: Nanaimo RCMP

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Nanaimo file # 2026-17270

What began as a heartbreaking loss has turned into a story of gratitude, and kindness, after a Nanaimo woman was reunited with a cherished ring that she never expected to see again. 

On May 13, 2026, Dee Bell of Nanaimo, lost a ring that held special meaning to her. Bell had purchased the ring as a gift to herself three years ago. After making payments for over a year and receiving a final helping hand from her daughter to pay it off, the ring became her treasured possession.

When the ring went missing, Bell wasn't even sure where she had lost it. She eventually gave up hope that it would ever be found.

"I didn't think I'd see it again," said Bell.

Unbeknownst to her, staff at Georgia Avenue Community School had located the ring on the school grounds. Recognizing its potential value to the owner, they safeguarded it before turning it over to the Nanaimo RCMP.

On June 25, 2026, a news release popped up on her FB feed and amazingly, she was looking at her long-lost ring. Praying it was her ring; she immediately attended to the local detachment.

After showing the front counter staff a picture of her ring and explaining when she lost it, staff were convinced she was the owner and turned it over to her.

Bell later reflected that she may have lost the ring while walking her grandson to Georgia Avenue Community School, although she had never considered that location during her search.

Overwhelmed by the efforts of those who helped return her treasured possession, Bell purchased gift cards and delivered them to the school as a thank-you to the employees who found and protected the ring.

"She was incredibly grateful," said Constable Gary O'Brien, Media Relations Officer for the Nanaimo RCMP. "This is a wonderful example of community members looking out for one another and taking the extra steps to ensure a lost item found its way back to its owner."

The Nanaimo RCMP would also like to thank the staff at Georgia Avenue Community School for their honesty and commitment to helping reunite a valuable item with its rightful owner.

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