Amanda Vaughan
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, September 26, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Some longtime Yellowknife residents still nip out to walk the dog or check the mail without locking up their homes, but they should think again, one Yellowknifer is warning.

Amanda Mallon noticed a stray cobweb dangling from the ceiling above three soapstone carvings in her home last week, and when she returned the next day to give the room a vigorous dusting, she noticed the carvings were missing from their prominent location on a shelf. - Amanda Vaughan/NNSL photo

"The major reason why I reported it is because I want people to know they should always be vigilant, and lock their doors," said Amanda Mallon, who resides in Old Town.

Mallon noticed a stray cobweb dangling from the ceiling above three soapstone carvings in her home last week, and when she returned the next day to give the room a vigorous dusting, she noticed the carvings were missing from their prominent location on a shelf.

"Days could have gone by before I noticed," she said, mentioning that she was lucky to have the cobweb draw her attention to the area.

Mallon said there was no evidence that someone had broken in, leading her to believe that someone might have slipped in while she was only out for a minute. She said she sometimes takes her dog for quick walks without locking up behind her. Or at least, she used to.

"I lock up all the time now," Mallon said. She also added that she has a newer, more secure front door on order, arriving any day.

The crime has also caused her to worry about the security of her home, she said.

"Every time I come into the house I look to see if something is gone now. I didn't do that last week," she said, adding, "I worry about my pets too."

Mallon said she first believed the culprit might have been someone she knows, but also acknowledged that a stranger could have spotted the carvings through a window, and that artworks would be a target.

"They are easy to turn around up here. Carvings are easy to sell," she said.

She said the carvings held a great sentimental value to her.

"One of them was given to my mother by an employer 20 years ago," Mallon said, explaining that her mother had since passed away.

One of the other two carvings was a gift from her father. She described the three carvings as being made from greenish soapstone. The largest one is an owl with outstretched wings, about eight inches tall and a foot wide. The other two carvings were slightly smaller, one a slanted bird in flight, and the third one is a polar bear.

Const. Roxanne Dreilich from the Yellowknife RCMP detachment said the theft and resale of art in the territory is not rampant, but definitely pops up from time to time. She said there is a chance of recovery.

"It's original pieces, and we have good descriptions," Dreilich said.

In a press release on Monday, the RCMP stated that they had persons of interest in the case. Dreilich said someone else in the neighborhood had reported a suspicious car and occupants in the area. Dreilich said the RCMP are looking for anyone who might have seen a light brown Ford Explorer with Alberta plates in the area of Lundquist Road, with three individuals inside. The vehicle occupants are described as a Caucasian male with long light brown hair, a Caucasian female and a tall aboriginal male. Dreilich also cautioned people to be careful when buying art.

"An example of a big red flag is value, say if someone is trying to sell a carving for much less than its retail value," she said.

As for Mallon, she just wants Yellowknifers to know that the city isn't the kind of place where you can leave your doors unlocked any more.

"I went around and warned all my neighbours," she said.