UPDATE:
It’s a 29th birthday that Raph Gagnon will never forget.
Raph, along with her husband Mark, saw their dreams and livelihood vanish in an instant when their mobile Apothecary trailer was stolen from the Tsawwassen ferry terminal last weekend. But their faith in humanity was restored when the trailer was found Wednesday night.
“The CBC got in contact with me and I was on the 6 p.m. news Wednesday night. Five minutes after our story aired, we received a call and someone had recognized the trailer that had been sitting for a few days in a parking lot in Tsawwassen,” Raph said. “We drove out with the police and sure enough, it was our trailer.”
Delta police confirmed the trailer was located at the Tsatsu Shores, a housing development located near the ferry terminal.
“A resident noticed it in the parking lot on Monday,” said Sharlene Brooks, public affairs coordinator for Delta police. “The trailer is in the hands of forensic investigators and the file is still under investigation.”
The Gagnon’s are owners of Boreal Folk Apothecary, which specializes in natural skincare products made from wild plants. They have been travelling across Canada vending a craft shows and events including Victoria last weekend. Because their trailer is 40-feet long when attached to their van, they decided to leave the trailer parked in the long-term parking lot at the ferry terminal. They locked and secured the trailer Friday night, but when they returned Sunday it was gone.
Their story has been shared by numerous media outlets including the Delta Optimist, and through social media. A gofundmepage was set up to provide financial support.
Raph said all donations raised through that page will be returned to the donors.
“Two motorbikes were stolen, a generator, a copper still we had to distill essential oils was also stolen, but none of the plants and flowers were taken. We’re back in business in the next month,” she said. “The other things will be covered by insurance. We’re so thankful that everyone shared our story and were so concerned. It really warms our hearts to know that we are supported by such a large community whether it is virtual or physical. My birthday wish was that our trailer would be found. My wish came true.”
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A Calgary couple has seen their dreams and passion vanish in an instant thanks to some brazen thieves.
Raph and Mark Gagnon are the founders of Boreal Folk Apothecary and had their trailer and mobile laboratory stolen at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal sometime between 9 p.m. Friday night and Sunday evening.
Boreal Folk Apothecary creates natural skincare products made from wild plants.
“We specialize in wild harvested skin care products, so we go out and pick wild flowers for their skin care properties and we create all of our goods in our mobile, solar powered laboratory,” said Raph. “We are vendors and vend across Canada. Last weekend we had just finished a cross-Canada tour and we were vending in Victoria and this weekend planned to vend in Vancouver.”
She said because their trailer is 40-feet long when attached to their van, they decided to leave the trailer parked in the long-term parking lot at the ferry terminal.
“It’s so hard to find parking for the rig in downtown Victoria,” she said. “We contacted the ferry terminal and when we arrived we were greeted by a parking attendant who showed us where to park.”
They locked up the trailer, chained up the tires, had hitch locks and everything was locked up with heavy-duty pad locks. They left around 9 p.m. Friday night and when they returned Sunday after a weekend vending in Victoria, the trailer was gone.
“All that was left was the remnants of the hitch locks and there was evidence that someone used power tools, so this was something that was certainly planned in advance,” Raph said. “We are devastated. The entire contents of our business was inside and just like that it’s gone into thin air.”
She learned from ferry staff that there are no cameras in that specific parking lot, but they are hoping there might be surveillance footage of the trailer leaving the terminal.
“A licence plate of a truck, anything that may help the police or someone help us locate the trailer,” she said. “It’s just very sad for us. I’ve spent the past year picking wild botanicals throughout our vast wilderness in Canada. They are very irreplaceable and absolutely useless to the people who have stolen the trailer.”
Delta police are investigating, but at this point have very little to go on.
A gofundmepage has been started by friends to help the Gagnon’s at:
https://www.gofundme.com/boreal-folk-apothecary-replacement.
Anyone with information regarding the theft can contact the Gagnon’s through email at: borealfolk@gmail.com or Delta police at 604-946-4411.
