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INUVIK
The library and food bank are struggling to pick up the pieces after both buildings were vandalized over the weekend.

Anne Church, left, John Hicks and Mike Orbell use shovels and heavy-duty garbage bags to clean up the mess in the food bank on Sept. 10. Bottles of spaghetti sauce were smashed on the floor during a break-in. - Danielle Sachs/NNSL photo

Some time in the early morning hours of Sept. 9, the Inuvik Food Bank was broken into.

"It's just devastating," said Anne Church, one of the food bank volunteers.

"They came in and just destroyed it."

Bottles of spaghetti sauce were smashed on the floor. Boxes of pasta were opened and thrown everywhere. Lightbulbs were removed from their fixtures and broken. Someone even took the time to pour sauce into desk drawers.

"They broke in to destroy the place," said Zoila Castillo, volunteer co-ordinator with the food bank.

"It's one thing if you break in to get warm and steal food because you need it, but this wasn't like that. It's a pretty horrific break-in."

On top of destroying the food bank, the vandal or vandals also broke four windows at the Inuvik Centennial Library.

"They used food from the food bank to break windows," said Beverly Garven, head librarian.

Food was thrown off shelves and onto the ground. Dry pasta crunched underfoot mixed with shards of glass. - Danielle Sachs/NNSL photo

"We're lucky because only about three books were destroyed but we still had to close for the day because there was broken glass everywhere."

The regular Sunday Ready for Reading program was cancelled. It's an event that Garven said a lot of parents look forward to.

"We tried to post online so people would know but one lady told me she brought her three-year-old down and she was just devastated they couldn't go inside the library."

It's not the first time either location has been broken into or vandalized, but Castillo said the incidents seem to be escalating.

"When we first started getting broken into, it was winter so we thought it was about shelter and nothing was taken," said Castillo.

"But this summer, it's almost once a week. It's disgusting."

Castillo said there isn't enough money to fix the door every time it's broken and with regular orders of $4,000 to $5,000 worth of food coming in at least once a month, there needs to be a guarantee that the food will be safe.

"I don't think we're going to be able to open this week," said Castillo.

On Sept. 10, the food bank was expecting a food delivery, but it had to be cancelled until the place could be cleaned up and secured.

"This is a service that's really needed in this community," said Castillo.

"A lot of people rely on it."

Garven said the last time the library was damaged, about a month ago, food from the food bank was also used in the vandalism.

"It was easier to clean up last time because it was potatoes and onions," she said.

"The food bank has been broken into before but this is the first time it's been completely destroyed."

RCMP are looking into the incident. The Town of Inuvik is currently discussing what it can do to help. The food bank is located in the Public Works building which is town property. The town is looking into acquiring a more secure door and is discussing moving a security camera which is not being used at the Midnight Sun Complex to the food bank.

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