Colleen Clare’s lifelong dream of owning a gift shop came true in time for the Christmas season.
But just nine days after she opened Fern and Crow in Saanich Centre, thieves broke into her nearby storage container to steal furniture, scattering packing boxes around the area.
“It was just so disheartening.”
Saanich police investigated and found smaller boxes with merchandise nearby. Some items were broken while others were intact.
It appears thieves were targeting higher-value items, such as velvet chairs, a storage bench and coffee tables. Clare figures they must have had a vehicle to take away the larger items.
Although she is insured, the deductible is similar to the loss, so she will not submit a claim, she said.
Clare was not working on Dec. 10 when she learned of the theft. A customer driving by had noticed that the eight-foot-long storage container on a paved area behind the store was open.
When she arrived and saw the container open and boxes opened and strewn about, “I could have cried. I was just heartbroken. Complete disbelief.”
She had invested in a special heavy-duty lock designed to withstand a diamond-blade saw for 20 minutes and thought the eight-foot storage container was safe.
The lock was later found uncut, leading to speculation that the thieves had managed to pick it open.
Saanich police Sgt. Damian Kowalewich said the investigation remains open and any information from the public is welcome.
Kowalewich said police carried out an extensive search of the area and items from the crime scene were seized for further forensic investigation. “We realize the impact this has on small businesses,” he said.
A 16-year Victoria resident originally from Calgary, Clare had worked for years as a corporate travel agent and had also co-owned a couple of food outlets in the capital region, but says she had wanted to have a gift shop since she was six.
In May she spotted an available space in the shopping centre and arranged to rent it.
She rented a 20-foot-long storage container, parking it in her home driveway, and filled it up with merchandise. In August, it was joined by an eight-foot container, also filled up.
Clare moved into the new shop space on Nov. 20, with the help of a close friend from Calgary. “We spent seven full days opening boxes, pricing merchandise and stocking shelves.”
Sales have been strong and customers supportive in the wake of the break-in, Clare said, adding the remaining merchandise has now been safely stored indoors. She feels bad for other retailers dealing with break-ins and property damage. “It is hard enough to make a living and make a profit. … Every penny counts.”
Even so, Clare is upbeat, noting that no one was hurt. “Onward and upward,” she said with a smile.
