A Vancovuer Island business owner wants local politicians to get more involved in dealing with crime in the area after experiencing multiple acts of vandalism at his store.
David Seguin, owner of Brickitty-Dooda in downtown Duncan, which offers a quality LEGO experience for its customers with new LEGO sets, collectible sets, mini-figures, nostalgia candy and much more, has had his front widow and glass door smashed in three times in recent months.
He said in early April, someone hit his front window hard enough to cause a crack in the glass from top to bottom, and about a week and a half ago, he found damage to his front door around the lock and the following morning, someone had kicked through the glass in the front door.
“No one got into the shop in each incident and nothing was stolen, but it will cost me about $1,700 out of pocket to fix the damage because I don’t have insurance on the glass, and that’s a hard pill to swallow,” Seguin said.
“I don’t have any enemies so I’m seeing this as a series of unfortunate events. It’s just vandalism, but with a little more effort, they could have gotten into the store.”
Brickitty-Dooda had been operating at the Chemainus Public Market on Willow Street for four years before moving to 303 Festubert St. in January after the public market closed.
Seguin said he didn’t have incidents of vandalism the whole time he was operating out of Chemainus, and didn’t even have a single case of shoplifting.
But he said one of reasons he decided to set up shop in Duncan was because most of his customers in Chemanius were from the area.
“My business has increased by about five times in the new location, so it’s bittersweet to have this happen there,” Seguin said. “I’m trying to create a quality retail experience for the Cowichan Valley and I’m not giving up easily.”
Seguin said it’s well known the area has issues with homelessness and drug abuse, and he feels for the people who are dealing with them, but something must be done to reduce the risk to business people and others in the community.
“Local politicians need to come to the podium and recognize this is happening,” he said. “Business owners are being told just suck it up, but politicians need to find some solutions.”
