Canoe reported stolen from foster care summer camp near Yellowknife
A canoe has been reported stolen from Camp Connections.
Camp Connections, roughly 60 kilometres east of Yellowknife on the Ingraham Trail, is run by the territory's Foster Family Coalition. It caters to children in foster care or receiving support from social services.
The canoe is believed to have been taken from the camp sometime between last Wednesday and Saturday, where it was sitting beside eight other canoes.
"I think that because people know it's a summer camp and that folks aren't out there year-round, maybe they think it's a little easier to go shopping there," said camp director Nicole Garbutt.
"It's one thing to steal period, but then to be stealing from kids — and to be stealing from foster kids — I feel like it's just the bottom of the barrel kind of situation."
Not the first time camp targeted
The coalition operates Camp Connections every summer. The tree-lined campground occupies sandy grounds near a flowing river, and includes facilities and equipment for camping and other adventures.
Youth are flown in or bused from across the territory to stay for week-long sessions of sports, crafts, cultural activities, and elder teachings.
This isn't the first time something's been stolen from the site. Nearly a cord of wood was taken from Camp Connections grounds last summer, and a wood stove went missing the winter before that.
Garbutt said the missing canoe is just over two metres long and completely white.
The incident has been reported to police. Anyone who sees the boat is asked to call the coalition or RCMP.
