A burglar broke into the Courtenay Legion this month, president Bob McDiarmid confirmed.

The Cliffe Avenue building which serves veterans was broken into the night of Friday, April 12 through the morning of Saturday the 13th, McDiarmid told the Record. He said the burglary is a first.

鈥淭his legion has been here 98 years,鈥� said McDiarmid. 鈥淭his was the first time that it has suffered (from something like this).鈥�

According to McDiarmid, the burglar stole items from the building. However, the items 鈥渉ad no sentimental value whatsoever鈥� to the veteran community. He did not want to disclose what had been stolen.

The burglar broke-in through the roof, McDiarmid told the Record. The hole to enter the building was accessed through a vent, and was 鈥渨ide enough to squeeze through for a very small person.鈥�

Trying to make sense of the small entry point, McDiarmid originally suspected that the burglar would have had to be something like a 13-year-old. However, after reading of a similar break-in at Yummies & Gyros, which saw a full-grown adult on camera just a day later around the scene of a similar crime, he said he鈥檚 not convinced anymore.

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Break-in tools were recovered at Courtenay Legion, as they were at Yummies & Gyros the next night. McDiarmid said the Legion is working to improve protection for the building.

RCMP confirmed to the Record they received a report. The break-in occured sometime between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., media relations said.

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