An 85-year-old Whitehorse woman is asking whoever stole her wagons to please give them back.
Alice Cyr, an avid gardener, lives at River’s Reach Condos in downtown Whitehorse and has spent the last five years building up a community vegetable garden of sorts, but this June she has had two wagons stolen — pieces of equipment she said are vital to her gardening.
“I bought a wagon to move stuff around — dirt, whatever (else) — and that was stolen, and I’d had that (wagon) for several years,” Cyr said, noting the blue plastic wagon was last seen on June 20. “So I immediately bought a new wagon and got it put together — some assembly required there — and the very next day, it was gone.”
The new wagon is a black metal model, assembled on June 22 and missing by June 23.
Cyr explained that she started the garden project — located between River’s Reach and the old White Pass refinery track — approximately five years ago, first taking a summer to clear the ground and remove rocks and other debris. The logs framing the plot are local, found on the shores of the Yukon River discarded by beavers.
“It took me a whole year to dig out the rocks and stuff,” Cyr said. “This was where the American army camped in 1942, so there was scraps of things and metal and stuff in there.”
Residents at River’s Reach donate money from cans and recyclables to help fund supplies for the garden, and in return Cyr puts the grown produce in the lobby — typically in a wagon — for residents to enjoy.
“It is for the benefit of everyone here,” Cyr said, pointing out the thefts have had a real impact on her enjoyment of her hobby. “It’s very, very disheartening because I have put an incredible amount of labour into here. I’m 85 years old — this is what I do for entertainment.”
Cyr said the original blue wagon was taken from near the Yukon River, and she thought perhaps someone had taken it somewhere else along the river.
“I walked all the way down (the river) and looked at all the bushes, thinking I could find it and I didn’t,” Cyr said, adding that the second wagon was stored near the condo’s garbage receptacles when it was taken.
At this point, Cyr said she’ll be buying a third wagon unless one of her other wagons shows up.
“I’m considering a third wagon because I need a wagon,” Cyr said. “Deliver them back. Put it back where you found it, or put it inside our garbage enclosure.”
Cyr said she reported the thefts to the RCMP and put up posters around local businesses, but has yet to find any information.
“It’s very frustrating.”
Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com