FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Officials with the North Peace Museum are shaking their heads after two of the museum’s heritage exhibit buildings were broken in to over the weekend.
Museum Curator Heather Sjoblom said that staff became aware of the break-in, which occurred on Saturday or Sunday, early Monday morning. She said that at least one person broke into the Allan House, the museum’s newest building, by pulling off the piece of plywood covering the doorway of the house.
Sjoblom said that luckily the house is currently being restored, and that the vandals did no damage to the house’s interior, which has yet to be restored. However, she said that vandals did punch or kick in a panel on the front door of the Paddy Carroll/Peck Cabin to open the door’s deadbolt. Once again, Sjoblom said that the interior of the home wasn’t damaged due to its exhibits being displayed behind a chainlink fence. But, she said that the home’s front door will need to be replaced at an estimated cost of between $200 and $400.
Sjoblom said that the RCMP have been notified about the break-ins, but that they told her there’s not much they can do without surveillance footage or eyewitness reports. She said that the break-ins could be attributed to homeless persons nearby.
Sjoblom said that this isn’t the first time the museum has been the victim of a break-in, saying that the last occurrence took place several years ago.
From Energetic City