Good Samaritan, VicPD reunite Victoria business owner with lost envelope of cash

At the end of It's a Wonderful Life, residents of the fictional town of Bedford Falls, N.Y. come together to help George Bailey make up an $8,000 shortfall after his Uncle Billy misplaces an envelope of cash belonging to the family business.

Apologies for the spoilers, if you haven't seen it.

There was no need for such a scene to play out in Victoria, B.C. this week, after a Good Samaritan found an envelope containing $9,000 in cash and turned it in at the local police station.

The Victoria Police Department said in a news release that the money - which was intended to pay for Christmas bonuses at a local business - has now been safely returned to its rightful owner.

The envelope was turned in at VicPD headquarters on Tuesday, police said. They did not specify where it was found, saying only that it had been picked up "on a downtown street."

The following morning, police received a call from a local business owner, who had discovered that the cash was missing. Police did not name the business.

"The business owner attended VicPD headquarters this morning with documents confirming the cash was theirs," police said in their news release Friday.

"The money was for Christmas bonuses for the business’ staff. It is now back in the owner’s hands just in time for Christmas Eve."