“We’ve always had a bit of the downtown issues, but the last five years have just been unbelievable. They poop on your walls, piss on your doorstep, leave needles right wherever you walk.”
That’s from Gale Horth, who owns Jack and Jill Embroidery in Prince George, and had her business broken into early this morning (Wednesday) around 4 AM.
She said break and enters like this aren’t even worth her making an insurance claim.
“Well my deductible is $1,000, so they have to steal a decent amount to make it worth making a claim. You know, the window was just under $500, and they stole maybe $500 worth of stuff, so there’s no point in making a claim.”
This is the sixth reported break and enter in PG since Sunday, but Horth said there’s been many more.
“This happens at least once a year, one year it happened three times in one month. That was in 2011, so that was a while ago.”
Horth said she made a claim back then for $6,000, and her insurance provider wouldn’t insure her again.
She said she’s been established in PG for many years, and picking up and moving shop would be difficult.
“I make enough money to pay for things, it’s just frustrating. It’s just very frustrating. I’m a saver, everything I have in the store is paid for. You just chug along, what else can you do? Unfortunately I’m uneducated, so it’s not like I can just set up shop and go find myself a good job somewhere. You know, I don’t have any degree in anything, I don’t even have my grade 12, so where do I go?”
She noted other businesses in her area have been trying to fix up their buildings and sell them to try and get out of the downtown area, but then become victims to people lighting fires near their business.
Horth said there’s a problem with the justice system in BC, as there’s no consequences for those who commit these crimes.
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].