Be on lookout for huge mermaid and unicorn, says couple whose decorations were stolen

Mermaids and unicorns may not be a typical holiday decoration for most, but they bring joy to Ian Jones and Jeannine Winkel, who have been putting up their fantasy holiday display for the last four years.

"We started noticing traffic was slowing down. People were really enjoying it. We were feeling happy and we think other people were feeling happy, too," Jones told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show on Friday.

However, things have taken a bit of a turn this year. 

The St. John's couple's six-foot-tall unicorn and mermaid — brightly lit with glitter and gold — were plucked from their lawn on Carpasian Road. 

They made the discovery shortly before their routine morning dog walk on Thursday.

"[It's] sad to realize that somebody would do this. I kind of knew there was a risk of having beautiful things out, because there have been Christmas decorations being taken in the past around the city," Winkel said.

"It's not us, not only us who are very sad about it. It's other people as well who have something missing. And dark mornings are dark evenings now."

But the stolen decorations run a little deeper for Jones and Winkel, whose home bolsters quite the collection of unicorn and mermaid collectibles — including a mermaid costume for their dog and photos from their mermaid-themed wedding.

Rebuilding

The couple say they'll be on the lookout for their distinct decorations. Winkel says the mermaid and unicorn may be difficult for an alleged thief to resell, given how unique and rare they are — and how the products are no longer on the market. 

The ordeal has put a damper on their holiday spirit — on top of November being the wettest month on record. 

Still, they plan to rebuild their display eventually, albeit with a few extra features the next time around.

"When they are replaced, and we do rebuild, I think we're going to include a high-security zone around our yard to keep an eye on things," said Jones.

"That's kind of a sad commentary when you have to have CCTV in your front yard."

Meanwhile, the couple says the decorations can be returned, no questions asked.

Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.