About two years after its stainless steel play structure was stolen, J. Puddleduck Pre-School is once again reeling from the theft of its play equipment.
Linda Foster, senior co-ordinator at the pre-school at the corner of Ryan and Back roads, believes the roughly nine-foot stainless steel tube was cut into pieces and some were taken perhaps Saturday morning and again early Sunday morning.
The manager of the apartments across the street couldn't see the play yard but heard the noise and was considering making a complaint about noise so early in the morning when it stopped, she explained.
The thieves left with some pieces of the equipment, she noted.
"They did leave some of the tunnel behind, but we had it moved so they couldn't take it in its entirety," said Foster, who was alerted by one of her staff members Sunday morning. "I'm assuming they were coming back to get the piece that we moved. I don't know whether they noticed it was gone or not."
J. Puddleduck Pre-School has had this tunnel for almost 25 years.
"It's our sort of signature piece of equipment," said Foster. "It was worth its weight in gold to us. We had to take down a wooden climber in the last couple of months because it was showing wear and tear, but this metal tube we'd had for 25 years. The wonderful thing about it is for the kids, it could be a spaceship ... it inspired imagination."
The structure also required no maintenance.
"Other than some scrapes and bends from the last time it was stolen, it was in great condition," said Foster. "The staff loved it. The kids loved it."
The pre-school recently built a new garage and staff figured the tunnel wouldn't be able to be taken out in the same way it was in April 2008, but this time, it was cut in pieces and some pieces were taken, explained Foster.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the preschool at 250-338-5521.
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