Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Mike Haener is the type of man who spends his spare time collecting bottles for charity.

When he grows tired he rests on his Explorer-brand walker and wipes his forehead with a white-on-red polka-dot handkerchief. Haener is 83-years-old.

Mike Haener sits on his walker, in much the same position he was in when robbed Wednesday afternoon. - Lauren McKeon/NNSL photo

Last Wednesday, while on a bottle collecting jaunt, Haener had his wallet stolen around 3 p.m. by a young woman he guesses couldn't have been much older than 20.

The black fold-over wallet contained all of Haener's identification, his credit cards and two $20 bills.

"She could have had a good time with that," Haener said.

The incident happened near a trail opposite the Polar Apartments tower at 52 Avenue and 44 Street, Haener said. He had stopped for a rest when he saw the young woman who "seemed friendly." Before he could think much beyond that, however, Haener felt one hand on his shoulder and another on his hip.

"She yanked it out so quickly and went over a fence. There was no chance for me," he said. "I let her go."

Haener's Visa card was returned Friday morning after being seized following an attempt to use it.

RCMP Const. Roxanne Dreilich said the investigation was still open as of Friday afternoon.

The whole thing is a real shame, said Greg Debogorski, executive director of the Yellowknife Association of Concerned Citizens for Seniors.

"This town is wealthy enough that there's no reason why people need to be mugging other people for money," he said. "If you need a job, there's jobs out there - if you want to work for it.

"There's no reason at all that ... in a wonderful community like Yellowknife things like that should be happening to seniors or to youth," he added.

Haener said he was shocked by the event. He has lived in the city since 1953 and founded his own company here. He has seen Yellowknife change a lot over the years, he said.

The lesson here, he said, is that "all people who are even a bit handicapped need to be careful."

Haener added that he'll still continue to go for walks and collect bottles in the area of the theft but from now on "I won't stay there very long."