Daycare stuck by theft, vandalism gifted loaner vehicles

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This article was published 08/03/2022 (926 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg car dealership and autobody shop has stepped in to help out a Windsor Park daycare that had its vans vandalized by gas-siphoning thieves.

Over the weekend, one or more thieves drilled into the gas tanks of three vans at Little People’s Place on Cottonwood Road, made off with the fuel and left around 85 tots without their usual rides to and from school and the facility.

On Wednesday, after staff at Vickar Community Chevrolet on Regent Avenue heard the daycare had been left without wheels, they loaned the centre free use of two shuttle vans.

“That is astronomically a blessing for us, so we absolutely took them up on that offer — I can’t even tell you how appreciative we are,” daycare executive director Carol Jones told the Free Press.

“Brings tears to your eyes, it’s something that we never in a million years expected and it changes everything. Two days ago, we had no clue what was going to happen and we were prepared for the worst. This has changed things for many, many of our families.”

The thefts came as gas prices spiked around the globe, which analysts have tied to sanctions against Russia over its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, as well as inflation and world economies ramping up as they begin to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Winnipeg gas stations posted prices as high as $1.89.9 per litre Monday, while the average price provincewide was $1.65.1.

Vickar assistant shop foreman Graham Bullis said the dealership was happy to assist the daycare.

“We know how hard it is to get daycare these days, so having all those parents stuck at home without being able to get their kids to and from, we figured we would give a helping hand,” Bullis said Wednesday.

“It feels great — we need more of that in this day and age with everything going on. It makes you feel a lot better to help someone in need.”

The three daycare vans that were damaged — two got towed to a shop Tuesday, but it’s unclear when new gas tanks will be available — sat 15 people each. The loaned shuttle vans only fit six, but having to make more trips doesn’t bother Jones.

“It is something that is doable… Better, better, better than nothing,” she said.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera