Iqaluit (Oct 23/06) - Vandals in Iqaluit have crippled a local business and left the owner wondering what he did to deserve it.

Robert Hanson estimates that a vandalism spree at his Federal Road location will cost his company between $50,000 and $75,000.

"I have no idea why and no idea who. I can't do any more busing, because I don't have any more buses," said Hanson.

Hanson Construction rents out buses to tour groups, and these buses were among the most heavily hit. Four school buses had most of the windows destroyed, including a small bus for special needs children.

These were determined vandals. Plexiglass windows in the special needs bus are designed to be shatter proof, to protect those children. Hanson picks up a shard of the plexiglass and tries to smash it against the bus. He could not break it.

"You have to beat it to break it. It wasn't rocks, there aren't any rocks inside the vehicles," said Hanson.

Vandalism is nothing new for Iqaluit, but Hanson isn't new either. He has lived in Nunavut for 42 years. He is the husband of Nunavut Commissioner Ann Hanson.

There hasn't been a worse time in the city for vandalism, in his opinion.

"It's never been this bad. It has only happened the last few years. Drive around town, every building has a smashed window," said Hanson. "I watch, and I report what I see, to try to help this community. Someone had to see something."

Instead of 25 to 30 buses and vehicles suitable for rental or scavenging for parts, Hanson now has a junk yard that is worthless.

"The dump is closed, I can't even take them to the dump. Even if I could, it is $250 to dispose of a vehicle there," said Hanson.

While isolated, there are other businesses at the end of the Federal Road. None of those have been touched with the kind of rampaging vandalism that hit his yard.

"I think it has to be personal," said Hanson.