Two volunteer-run museums in Nova Scotia targeted by thieves, police say

Nova Scotia RCMP are encouraging organizations that collect donations to empty donation bins regularly after two volunteer-run museums were targeted by thieves over the past week.

Police say the thefts involved two people seemingly working together to steal donation boxes. They believe the same two people were behind incidents at the Heritage Models Museum in River Hebert and the Fort Point Museum in LaHave.

The Heritage Models Museum was targeted last week on July 19 and the Fort Point Museum was targeted on Tuesday afternoon.

Mya Hashey was working at the Heritage Models Museum at the time of the theft. She said a man and woman walked into the museum, which is dedicated to handcrafted miniatures, and she offered them a tour. The pair declined, but Hashey followed them to open up one of the models and they began asking her questions.

Hashey said the man was standing next to the woman at first and then excused himself to use the washroom. She said the woman began asking her questions. When the man came back from the washroom, he asked if the museum accepted donations and Hashey said yes.

"There's a donation box there and I guess he must have seen it. And then he said, 'I'll be right back. I'll go to my truck and get you a donation.' ...  he came back in a couple minutes later, and instead of putting the change that he gave me in the donation box, he walked up to me and handed me a handful of change," Hashey told CBC News on Friday.

Hashey said the duo told her they had to leave for a dinner. She said she didn't realize the box was gone until the following day.

Carrie Power, the manager of the Heritage Models Museum, told CBC News the incident left everyone feeling "very vulnerable."

While reviewing the security footage, she said the vehicle the suspects were driving had entered the museum parking lot in an "unusual way" and parked so that the licence plate was obscured by paddle boards, a cooler and other touristy things.

"They knew what they were doing, obviously, by covering it up. But we got a good description of the truck and them as well," Power said.

The museum shared images of the suspects on social media.

The images show a man who appears to have short reddish-brown hair and a beard and a woman with long brown hair. Both appear to be in their 20s and police believe they drove to one of the museums in a dark-coloured pickup truck with a cargo rack on the back.

"[The donations stolen] was a couple of days' sales and our float, so it hit us pretty hard, but you know, we're all learning from it," Power said.

Power said the community has shown overwhelming support since the theft, with more donations coming in and people dropping by to visit. The museum, which opened in 1993, is dedicated to the history of River Hebert and showcases models made by the late Reginald (Bud) Johnston.

This week, Power learned the Fort Point Museum in LaHave, N.S., had its cash box stolen.

In that instance, police were told two people entered the museum and worked together to steal a large donation container.

Jessie Grigg-Farquhar, the museum's director, told Radio-Canada a man and a woman came in on Tuesday afternoon. She said they asked questions, chatted near the front door and then walked around the museum and asked about an artifact that was far away from the front door.

"And while she answered the lady's questions, the man looped back around, picked up the donation keg and walked out the front door.... it was about a 50-pound cast iron kettle that we use that has plexiglass on top and money to go into it," Grigg-Farquhar said.

"Our president has often joked that no one could pick that up and walk out the door with it, but they did."

She said the museum depends on donations to operate "and the fact that we would be targeted by thieves seems almost absurd to me."

Grigg-Farquhar said the community has helped recuperate some of what the museum lost, which she estimated would have been between $1,000 and $2,000 — or a third of their summer earnings.

The Fort Point Museum also released surveillance images of the suspects.

Grigg-Farquhar said the museum, which celebrates the history of the LaHave area, has a new donation jar that is affixed to the table. The museum is also making sure the front room is never unattended.

"We are definitely keeping a better eye on it now," she said.

Anyone looking to share information on the thefts can contact either the Cumberland County District RCMP at 902-667-3859 or Lunenburg County District RCMP at 902-527-5555. Anonymous tips can be shared with Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Police said in a news release that people looking to support museums or charities can also consider donating online rather than giving cash.