Businessman Jeff Ross wonders whether he will renew his lease for his Gold Silver Guy location at 43 Station St. in downtown Duncan when it is up later this year after yet another break in at the store.
Ross, who lives in Nanaimo, received a phone call from his security company at approximately 5 a.m. on Sunday, July 28, from the RCMP to tell him that his store had just been broken into once again.
He said he immediately drove down from Nanaimo and watched the video from his security camera, which showed a man pushing a shopping cart up the sidewalk in front of his store before hauling out an axe and smashing through his front window.
“There was only costume jewellery in the window and the man just took one trinket that was worth nor more than $3 and left,” Ross said.
“Nobody lives in that area so there were no witnesses. It will cost me more than $1,000 to replace the window. I’m 65 years old now and this sort of thing makes me wonder what I’m doing and why do I go to work at all. It’s very frustrating.”
Ross said the police are investigating and no arrests have been made at this time.
Ross, who also owns Gold Silver Guy locations in Nanaimo and Qualicum Beach, said this is the seventh time his shop in Duncan has been broken into over the years, and the 26th time for all of his shops.
He said he doesn’t have insurance anymore to cover his losses after such incidents because the insurance companies have determined that, after so many break ins, he’s considered too much of a risk.
“I have to wonder just why I continue to do this,” Ross said.
