'Power Outage Provides Opportunity for a Thief' - CBC-TV Northbeat
September 17, 2007
LINKS: Watch this broadcast on YouTube
(moose antler skull carving, moose antler skull sculpture)
Text:
CBC Northbeat Announcer
A late night power outage over the weekend in Whitehorse may have provided the perfect opportunity for a thief. A unique and valuable carving was stolen from the Canada Games Centre early Saturday morning. Al Foster has details of the daring robbery,
Al Foster, CBC Reporter
This was the place where a piece by carver Shane Wilson had been displayed. The work features a moose skull with elaborately carved antlers. It's valued at $50,000 and took over three years to create.
When the Canada Games Centre was built one of its purposes was to publicly display northern art. The Centre had amassed an impressive collection. Early Saturday morning thieves made their way into the Canada Games Centre and made off with this piece.
Linda Rapp, City of Whitehorse
It appears that it was a targeted theft in that there was, actually, not a whole lot of damage. It was one small section of a door at the front entrance, a glass was broken, and no other damage in the facility other than the glass panel on the front of the display case and then the missing artwork.
Al Foster
Shane Wilson's antler carvings gained national attention during the 2007 Canada Winter Games. His work made up the bases of the three torches that travelled across the North. The torches were featured during the Canada Games Opening Ceremonies.
Several art dealers in Whitehorse believe Wilson's notoriety along with the uniqueness of the stolen piece means that the thief may try and resell it to a collector outside the Territory. One dealer even suggested that it might end up for sale on eBay.
The theft took place during a major power outage in the southern Yukon; one of several outages over the last few months. For the most part they are being blamed on one particular turbine located by the Whitehorse Dam. The theft of this art piece shows how vulnerable parts of the city can be when there is not a reliable source of power.
Janet Patterson, Yukon Energy
We're frustrated that this has been happening too many times for our liking and I know that Yukoners are frustrated. And so what the staff and management have decided to do here now is sit down and take a good hard look at that unit and try and figure out what we can do to improve the reliability.
Al Foster
Meanwhile the Canada Games Centre staff is also taking a long, hard look at its operations to see what can be done to improve security during a power outage.
Any security tapes that have been found during the robbery have been turned over to the RCMP. The content of those tapes is not known at this time, but considering the theft took place during a power outage, those tapes won't likely provide many clues as to who's behind this brazen theft.
Al Foster, CBC News, Whitehorse.
Linda Rapp, City of Whitehorse
It appears that it was a targeted theft in that there was, actually, not a whole lot of damage. It was one small section of a door at the front entrance, a glass was broken, and no other damage in the facility other than the glass panel on the front of the display case and then the missing artwork.
Al Foster
Shane Wilson's antler carvings gained national attention during the 2007 Canada Winter Games. His work made up the bases of the three torches that travelled across the North. The torches were featured during the Canada Games Opening Ceremonies.
Several art dealers in Whitehorse believe Wilson's notoriety along with the uniqueness of the stolen piece means that the thief may try and resell it to a collector outside the Territory. One dealer even suggested that it might end up for sale on eBay.
The theft took place during a major power outage in the southern Yukon; one of several outages over the last few months. For the most part they are being blamed on one particular turbine located by the Whitehorse Dam. The theft of this art piece shows how vulnerable parts of the city can be when there is not a reliable source of power.
Janet Patterson, Yukon Energy
We're frustrated that this has been happening too many times for our liking and I know that Yukoners are frustrated. And so what the staff and management have decided to do here now is sit down and take a good hard look at that unit and try and figure out what we can do to improve the reliability.
Al Foster
Meanwhile the Canada Games Centre staff is also taking a long, hard look at its operations to see what can be done to improve security during a power outage.
Any security tapes that have been found during the robbery have been turned over to the RCMP. The content of those tapes is not known at this time, but considering the theft took place during a power outage, those tapes won't likely provide many clues as to who's behind this brazen theft.
Al Foster, CBC News, Whitehorse.