North Bay bookstore grateful for support after vandalism incidents

The owners of a downtown business in North Bay are frustrated after being hit by vandals twice in recent months.

The owners of a downtown business in North Bay are feeling frustrated after being hit by vandals twice in recent months.

In both instances, the front glass display was kicked in, leaving shards of glass everywhere.

Annette and Scott Vander Waal, owners of the bookstore Allison The Bookman, said they are grateful that other businesses and shoppers have helped by donating money to help pay for repairs and to purchase new security equipment.

Since the end of November, the storefront display has been kicked in twice, but curiously, nothing was taken.

“This is really a symptom of bigger problems,” Scott said.

“It’s a nuisance because it’s not that expensive. But it’s another expense.”

Relatively minor damage like the one sustained this past week isn’t covered by business insurance because of the deductible.

The independent bookstore has been Anette’s family for 52 years and has been located in the downtown since 1973.

Vandalism isn’t the only challenge the business has been dealing with in recent months. In October, homeless people were lighting fires against the back of the store to stay warm. When a burning branch was left leaning against the building, firefighters were called.

“It got me very paranoid,” Annette said.

“That was the second incident where it was all smoky. The city’s going to help us by making a lower barricade back there and that’s supposed to happen in the springtime.”

North Bay police are investigating both incidents. Police said that foot patrols are working to deter crime downtown.

“Unfortunately, we can’t be everywhere all at once. These things are under investigation,” said Insp. Jeff Warner.

“The store owners and the businesses down there are happy with the police presence. It’s an outreach to the community. They see us down there. We can speak to the shop owners about their concerns and address some of that while we’re down there.”

To help the Vander Waals, other businesses and downtown shoppers have been donating money so they can install security cameras inside and outside the business. The cost is estimated to be around $2,000.

“One of the things that I see from this is the outpouring from the community. That’s really the solution,” Scott said.

“We need to talk more to gether. We need to share our experiences, and we need to help each other.”

Proud to be downtown, the Vander Waals are hoping all neighbouring businesses can work together to deal with these issues.

Anyone with information on the vandalism is encouraged to call the North Bay Police Service at 705-497-5555 and press ‘5’ to speak with an officer.

To remain anonymous, contact Near North Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.