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Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Think about what's being stolen
Opinion On the night of the last Jets playoff win, under the cover of darkness, thieves drove into the Wildwood community and stole close to $100,000 worth of machinery used to make ski trails. Wildwood prides itself on being a close-knit area with friendly people willing to help out to make improvements in their neighbourhood. They trust each other and keep watch over their neck of the woods. Somehow these bandits, who were observed on security cameras in a blue or black Dodge truck, were able to escape unnoticed with the trailer, an ATV and grooming apparatus. This is what I would say to the individuals who committed this uncaring and greedy crime. To start with, I imagine you had been casing the community centre and were prepared that Thursday night with a grinder to slice off the locks. Submitted by Brent Prusak Wildwood Community Centre's stolen trailer with the orange Polaris side-by-side with Yellowstone Track Systems groomer. You probably assumed that a rainy cold night would limit the number of passersby and that the trailer could be hooked up in very short order. As you approached Pembina Highway you must have felt a rush of excitement, knowing you got away with a king's ransom that could be fenced for a cash windfall, or perhaps you are part of a larger organization that preys on vulnerable community centres and enslaves you with drugs or money. Just to let you know, the main volunteer who actually owns the trailer has spent countless hours retrofitting the groomer, soliciting funds to buy the ATV and regularly gets up at 6 a.m., taking pride in grooming the golf course for the thousands of skiers who use it. This individual is not paid, nor does he receive any remuneration for the countless hours he puts in. No, this guy volunteers his time out of the goodness of his heart — something you seem to be missing. He is also joined by many other volunteers who also grieve the loss of the equipment and will have to double down on the work it will require to replace it. You haven't just stolen a commodity with monetary value, you have hurt those who put trust in others and have scarred their faith in humanity. Knowing how much these people do for others how could you selfishly steal what was so important to them? And just exactly what do you think you will do with a cross-country ski groomer that has been reported stolen, break it down and sell it for scrap metal? I imagine that you've stashed the trailer out of town in a large building to wait until the heat is off. That building may belong to someone unaware of your ulterior motives to make a buck off of stolen goods. It is likely not your first rodeo and you may well have been instrumental in stealing the ATV from Chalmers community club or perhaps the batting machine from Norberry. It has been easy pickings to prey on clubs that devote their time making their communities a better place for their members which include children. As you plan your next grand larceny, perhaps you could consider that you may have kids one day and that one of your cousins or family members may be the ones who suffer from your self-centred actions. If you are caught and sentenced our community would be happy to put you to work to make up for the hundreds of hours you have cost them. You could start by shovelling snow off of the rinks. Wednesdays A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future. We hear regularly about shoplifting, yard thefts and property crimes, which Winnipeg's finest can not keep up with. Security cameras and locks and chains have become essential for most homeowners and small businesses. Our courts are full of these non-violent criminals who generally avoid consequences as there are bigger fish for the courts to fry. A restorative model would have thieves like you face their victims and make up for their actions. As a volunteer, I would love to be in that sentencing circle and to be sure I could think of numerous ways for you to make it up to our community. Only in this way could we teach you the empathy which you sadly lack. Look us in the eyes and tell us why you robbed us and just maybe you'd feel a twinge of guilt. Let us explain to you the effect your actions have had, and then you might be able to distinguish between right and wrong. It takes courage to recognize the errors of your ways and an inner realization that you too are part of the larger community you are hurting. Dave Taylor is a Wildwood volunteer and a regular contributor to the Free Press who also blogs at
CBC
21-05-2025
- CBC
Thieves make tracks with stolen trailer loaded with ski trail grooming equipment
Social Sharing Thieves used a grinder to cut off locks before hauling away a trailer loaded with specialized equipment from a Winnipeg community club. "It makes me look at everything and go, wow, what else are they going to steal? The trust is now gone. We just have to look at everything and lock up everything," said Brent Prusak, who manages the cross-country ski trails for Wildwood Park Community Centre. The equipment, used to groom the trails, was set to be moved into an off-season secure facility but was temporarily stored beside the centre. Prusak intended to move it Friday but ran out of time between other demands with work and home life. He returned Tuesday morning, the first day after the long weekend, to do it instead. "And unfortunately, it was gone. Locks were cut off and the machine and the trailer were gone," he said. He estimated the stolen items were worth $75,000. The equipment included a Polaris side-by-side with a plow and a Yellowstone Track Systems groomer, all strapped down on a 22-foot-long double-wide trailer. "It's very specific for ski trail grooming," said Prusak. A lot of work went into modifying and outfitting the machine for grooming, he said. "We're hoping that it gets returned or found and we can at least get parts of it back, anyway." Based on conversations with people in the neighbourhood and when the equipment was last seen there, Prusak believes the theft happened Sunday night. He and others are checking to see if anyone has security cameras that might have caught the vehicle that towed away the trailer. "Hopefully we can at least see it driving by, [but] the police said it's probably a stolen vehicle, anyway, and if it's not a stolen vehicle, it's got stolen plates," he said. Prusak's been blaming himself for the theft. "I know I shouldn't, but hindsight is 20-20. I should have just taken it on Friday and just dropped everything [else]. It's very disappointing," he said. "But no one got hurt. It's just a bunch of things. We'll bounce back from that." One way or another, the club will have grooming equipment again — whether it is returned or needs to be repurchased, Prusak said. "We're going to go on," he said, but he hasn't been able to give much thought to how that will happen. "We do not have anything in the budget at this point." Whenever and however the equipment is replaced, one thing is absolutely certain, he said. "I'm going to put GPS on everything."
