Dorothy Westerman
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 09/05) - A Christmas Grinch is lurking in Yellowknife, according to Beth McCormack.

He made off with a two-metre inflatable likeness of himself from McCormack's Sissons Court home.

Have you seen this Grinch, or at least one like it which disappeared from the back deck of Beth McCormack's home last week?

"I was sleeping and I heard the footsteps on our back deck," McCormack said, recalling the theft at 1.30 a.m. last Wednesday.

"I looked out the window and my inflatable Christmas tree which was beside it was just falling over. The Grinch was gone.

"They even stole the extension cord," McCormack said.

Her children, ages 6 and 8, were devastated.

"They were upset. I had to explain why someone would do something like that, but it was really hard.

"But we said we're not going to let the Grinch who stole our Grinch ruin our Christmas and I promised them I would try to find another one if we can't get that one back," McCormack said.

They bought the Grinch in Ontario three years ago, after a long search, McCormack said. After hearing about the McCormack's loss, Jo-Anne Sigurdson, a Yellowknife funeral director, offered a $100 reward for the return of the Grinch.

"Years ago when we lived in Victoria, we put up a big Christmas display and we had the whole thing stolen one night. "It broke my heart and broke all our kids hearts, so I know exactly how her kids feel," Sigurdson said.

McCormack said she was very pleased Sigurdson would come forward with such a kind gesture.

"For me that was great. Then I could tell my kids that even though someone stole the Grinch, there are other good people out there trying to find it."

Sgt. Darcy Fleury said Yellowknife RCMP are treating the theft seriously.

"People think it is a joke or funny to take the ornaments and it's not," Fleury said.