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Thieves hit Halkirk Tankstore

Thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment and tools were stolen from Tankstore in Halkirk this month.

Thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment and tools were stolen from Tankstore in Halkirk this month.

A trio of thieves were caught on video.

“We’re looking at close to $20,000 in stolen equipment,” co-owner Dan Fowler said.

“We lost a welder and lots of tools, mostly a lot of little stuff like hand tools.”

Video cameras recorded images of three people in the May 12 theft at about 4:40 a.m.

“We were fortunate enough to get video, but not able to identify them,” Fowler said.

The video, however, identified a getaway vehicle.

“The suspects were driving an early-2000s white Chevrolet truck with a sunroof,” Coronation RCMP Const. Brian Marinelli reported.

Fowler said it was the first such incident at the business since it opened 12 years ago.

The theft came after a rash of vandalism, vulgar graffiti and break-ins at businesses in Castor in the last week of April and the first week of May.

Town of Castor council posted a $500 reward to help solve the crime and deter further criminal damage.

Parr Reservoir boat launch park was extensively damaged by vandalism, while graffiti was scrawled on Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church and the grain elevator at Castor Museum.

Downtown, culprits broke into five downtown businesses, stole small amounts of money and cut telephone wires, including service to the emergency 911 line briefly.

When lines at Paintearth Gas Co-op were snipped, that cut service to Castor Fire Department emergency phone.

Anyone with information on the incident in Halkirk or other criminal activity is asked to phone Coronation RCMP at 403-578-3666 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).