'I was shocked': Items worth thousands stolen from Calgary music shop
A Calgary business is dealing with the aftermath of an overnight break-in where thousands of dollars worth of product was stolen.
"They broke the windows at around 4 a.m., (and) they grabbed whatever was right by the window," said John Xie, the operator of Musicwork Canada's West Springs location.
"They came in afterwards, unlocked the front door and then grabbed a lot of our violins, guitars, amps, and they even took her cash register and (point of sale) system, which definitely had a tremendous effect on our daily operations."
Xie says four Musicwork Canada stores in the city have been targeted by thieves in the past. His location in the southwest last Sunday was the latest.
"I was shocked at first, upset about it for sure, and (I am) just trying to figure out what we can do," he said.
According to Xie, about $10,000 worth of items were taken, and filling the shelves once again, has been challenging.
"There's going to be some items like violins and stuff that it will take a long time to replace," he said. "For now, what I've done is I just took from my savings, I've paid for whatever inventory, I can't fill up the shelves, so it looks a bit more normal."
However, getting the business back to an 'normal operational state' could take months as the business waits for insurance claims to be processed and its building to get fixed.
"In addition to that, with the COVID-19, (and) supply chain issues, restocking the inventory also takes a significant amount of time," said Taeho Style, the director of Musicworks Canada and TS Industries.
Style says it's not just store owners who bear the brunt of break-ins.
"It's not just a single business that's being targeted. It's everyone in the community," he said.
Musicworks Canada is geared towards music lessons and education while offering items for purchase and rentals.
"If the students came in, (wanting) or they're needing an instrument or book, and we cannot supply them what they need, that is not just a loss to the bottom line; it's essentially the impact on the children's education that we're trying to uphold the qualities in."
Style hopes people in the community take notice of what's happening around them.
"It's happening in our neighbourhood. It's happening to the businesses in our communities," he said. "(Knowing what's going on is) encouragement for people within the communities to be more aware and acknowledge that these things are happening and then they can report it to the authorities."
While the business has its own security measures in place, Style says owners are limited in what they can do to deter thieves.
"At the store level, for small business owners, there's sort of a maximum tolerance of what they're able to do," he said. "Having more neighbourhood patrolling by the police would certainly help everybody feel safer."
While Style and Xie are leaving the investigation into the break-and-enter in the hands of authorities, they are asking the public to use caution when buying used instruments.
"Ask for receipts, or some sort of a purchasing record," said Style.
COMMERCIAL BREAK AND ENTERS ON THE RISE
Calgary Police say the number of commercial break and enters are rising.
During the first three months of 2021, there were 802 break and enters. In the same timeframe, for 2022, there were 1,268.
Looking at March alone, in 2021 there were 258 break and enters, while 2022 saw 468. That is a 15 per cent increase from the five-year average and an 81 per cent increase from 2021, according to police. Adding, that these offences are primarily focused on convenience stores, gas stations and restaurants, targeting any cash on premises from a till or an ATM.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979388.1722030190!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before residents can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes 'for several weeks.'
Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in creek in Mississauga, Ont.: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead a day after he went missing in a park in Mississauga, Ont., Peel police say.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill.
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump’s near assassination, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president’s ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former U.S. president’s injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Turpel-Lafond won't sue CBC over Cree heritage report that took 'heavy toll': lawyer
The lawyer for a former judge whose claims to be Cree were questioned in a CBC investigation says his client is not considering legal action against the broadcaster after the Law Society of British Columbia this week backed her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.