In the wake of buried treasure hunts across Vancouver this summer, there's one you can possibly still partake in.
In July 1942, two men robbed a Bank of Montreal on Main Street, making off with $56,000 – split between the two.
The Vancouver Sun dubbed it "the most carefully planned bank holdup in Vancouver criminal history."
One thief decided to bury part of his loot in Brockton Point cricket grounds – now known as Brockton Oval – in case something happened to him.
"The spot where the treasure is believed to be is in a small clearing in a clump of trees, bordering the Lower Brockton cricket pitch," the newspaper wrote.
According to newspaper reports, "underworld sources" tipped off police about the treasure three years later.
The source was later revealed to be the robber's own girlfriend, looking for the cash after he died in a gunfight with police in 1944.
She died after tipping off police, with no mention of the circumstances of her death.
The newspaper goes into great detail describing the alleged burial spot, writing about an equilateral triangle formed by the trees.
The description led to amateur sleuths descending on the area, with one man telling the media the thought he could be standing on top of thousands of dollars "made me feel faint."
But all police found was a woman's lipstick container buried under the roots of one of the three trees.
The hunt for the Brockton Point loot draws parallels with the hunt for buried treasure earlier this summer.
Like its 1945 counterpart, the search for hidden loot drew amateur hunters to various locations across the city.
Some residents and competitors complained about the onrush, saying some trampled private property in the mad rush to claim the prize.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Mike McCardell
