WESTLOCK – Thieves have targeted a rural Jarvie-area residence three times over the last month stealing a large “Every Child Matters” banner that is meant to “honour and recognize all the children who were forced into Canada’s Indian residential school system.”
Westlock RCMP Detachment acting commander Cpl. Riley Sutherland said the first two thefts occurred around 10 p.m., May 7 and May 21, while the most recent happened around 4 p.m., June 16, less than a week prior to National Indigenous Peoples Day that was celebrated nationwide June 21. RCMP-provided surveillance footage from the property shows a young, masked man wearing a burgundy hoodie and jeans approaching the banner affixed to the gate, while Sutherland said the suspect vehicle is dark green Dodge pickup truck.
Although the motivation for the theft is unknown, Sutherland said when they catch the perpetrator they’ll lay charges of theft and then contemplate others. “Every Child Matters” is the slogan for Orange Shirt Day, also known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation or National Day of Remembrance, which every Sept. 30 honours “survivors, their families, and communities, who continue to be impacted by the atrocities committed by the residential school system.”
“It certainly would be a theft charge but we’re looking at all avenues and we’re working in conjunction with other units to determine what other appropriate charges would be,” said Sutherland in a June 22 interview. “Hopefully we’ll be able to identify who this person is and then we can move forward with the investigation.”
People with tips on this or any other crime are encouraged to call the detachment at 780-349-4492, while if you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.
