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The extent of the vandalism to the Open Doors Society's location in the upper level of the Fort Simpson recreation centre included paint thrown across furniture, walls and toys, as well as craft and baking supplies spread on the floor. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
When Tracy Brown received a call on July 9 from the Village of Fort Simpson's recreation centre staff informing her the Open Doors Society's space had been vandalized, she was expecting some overturned chairs and scattered toys.

Tracy Brown, the Open Doors Society's acting program co-ordinator, holds two of the toys the society's pre-school-aged participants like the most. The toy on the right was coated in pink tempra paint when the society's location in the upper level of the recreation centre was vandalized. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

What she found when she arrived was far worse than she had imagined.

"I'm totally shocked," said Brown, the society's acting program co-ordinator.

Brown got her first glimpse of the vandalism when she tried to enter the space in the upper level of the recreation centre by using the back stairwell. When she reached the first landing, she saw paint seeping from under the door. On the other side of the door, the stairs were covered in tempra paint, along with portions of the walls and ceiling.

"It was solid paint and my heart dropped," she said.

Using the front stairwell, Brown initially saw the damage to the Fort Simpson Judo Club's equipment. Paint had been splashed across sections of the club's mats as well as exercise balls.

On the society's half of the room, the vandalism was more extensive. Brown estimates that 15 four-litre jugs of tempra paint were splashed and poured around the room and stairwell. The society's four soft armchairs and two couches are soaked with paint and will have to be replaced along with possibly four area rugs, she said.

Paint was also splattered and poured across many of the society's toys as well as its collection of board books for young children. Many of the most favoured toys, including Tonka trucks, a play kitchen and a pull toy on a string were hit with paint.

Craft and baking supplies including paper, pipe cleaners, flour and strawberries were also strewn across a portion of the floor. Staff and volunteers with the society spent part of Monday afternoon cataloging what had been damaged.

"I was in total awe of the disrespect for the program," said Brown.

Brown said she's only seen this degree of vandalism in unused, derelict buildings.

Anyes Fabre-Dimsdale, whose four children take part in the society's programs, also saw the damage.

"I just think it's heartbreaking because it's the kids that lose," she said.

"It's an attack on the kids of the community who use this facility."

Fort Simpson is a small community and everyone knows everyone else and how important the society is, said Fabre-Dimsdale.

"I just can't believe it," she said.

The recreation centre was closed from Friday evening until Monday morning when the vandalism was discovered. The RCMP was notified on Monday morning and arrived to gather evidence from the scene.

Brown said she hopes the society will be able to reopen the space by September when Playgroup for children up to age six would normally be offered in the space.

In addition to replacing larger items, the society will have to get all new craft supplies, she said.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Fort Simpson RCMP detachment or CrimeStoppers.

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