(Update: 2:18 pm): Mounties said the 15-year-old boy accused of vandalizing the Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery in Kelowna last night faces potential charges.
Cpl Jesse O'Donaghey said the boy, from West Kelowna, was taken into custody near the scene before being released – on conditions – into the care of a guardian.
He will appear in court in early December.
O'Donaghey explained that a male suspect kicked a hole in the glass of the front door before climbing into the premises.
“Once inside, the youth reportedly smashed items within the distillery, before smashing the front window to exit the business," he added.
If you witnessed this incident – which occurred at about 12:30 am – and have not yet spoken to police, you are urged to call the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300.
(Original story: 1 pm): The Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery in Kelowna suffered thousands of dollars of damage last night in a “senseless act of vandalism”.
CEO Tyler Dyck said a “very drunk” 15-year-old boy got into the Bernard Avenue venue not long after midnight and began smashing windows and bottles.
During an outburst of destruction lasting between three and five minutes, the boy managed to do something in the area of $25,000 in damage.
“I think he’s known for doing this kind of thing,” Dyck said, adding that police caught him “really quick”.
“We were told he’d be home and in bed by the time we’d cleaned up the mess. Apparently there’s nothing they can do because he’s just 15.
“He’s a Wreck-It Ralph.”
It’s the second time the venue has suffered from vandalism in the last two months.
Dyck said this time three windows – including one that was broken last time – were smashed, alongside a dozen bottles and much else besides.
A custom-built counter that cost $15,000 to build also had chips cut out of it, while the rest of the damage is expected to cost the company between $8,000 and $10,000.
But when Dyck called up to have his windows repaired, he said he was told he could have to wait until next week – because demand for the service is so high.
“There are so many getting smashed, they can’t keep up,” he explained.
He added that he feels “bad” for the city’s Mounties, for whom every day “is like Groundhog Day”.
“I saw some guys chasing each other around with hammers yesterday,” he said.
“Every day in the morning it’s a s***show. It’s part of the job now to arrive in the morning and clean everything up – needles, garbage, urine – to make it look normal.
“It’s terrible.”
Dyck, who emphasized he feels sympathy for people suffering addiction and desperately wants to see them helped, blamed the City for failing to solve downtown’s problems.
“We are one of the richest cities in the province but City Council is doing nothing to help,” he said.
“We are going to have a ghetto downtown.”
The company, he said, is already looking to leave downtown Kelowna after suffering a decline in sales recently.
He said some customers are heading up to the firm's Vernon outlet despite living in Kelowna because they are so wary of downtown.
The downward trend became apparent at about the same time Tim Hortons opened up nearby, he said, though he does not blame the fast-food giant.
Meanwhile, the venue remains open in Kelowna – and Dyck said that if anyone wants to help the business out, they can come and buy a bottle or two.
“We’re actually going to put up a sign saying, ‘This is not because of a prohibition raid’,” he laughed.
If you get value from KelownaNow and believe local independent media is important to our community we ask that you please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter.
If you appreciate what we do, we ask that you consider supporting our local independent news platform.
