A fundraiser has been started to help the owners of a downtown Maple Ridge business that was struck by vandals late last week.
Once Upon a Tea Leaf , located along 224 Street, was targeted in the early morning hours of Thursday, Sept. 21.
On video one man can be seen shattering the front windows of the store and then lobbing in some sort of smoke bomb which emitted an orange colour that coated the entire store, including all of the inventory.
The store is owned by Taryn Stephenson Thoews and her mother Cindy-Lea Stephenson, and has been a fixture in Maple Ridge for the past 16 years 害羞草研究所� 11 years at the current location.
害羞草研究所淥ur world came crashing down when a young man shattered our windows and hurled two Marine Pyrotechnic devices into our cherished store,害羞草研究所� read the GoFundMe started by Marin Odberg.
害羞草研究所淚t was sheer luck that the entire block did not succumb to the flames, as these smoke signals were actually explosives that burned through our store害羞草研究所檚 floor,害羞草研究所� said Odberg online.
Thoews, said she received a call from the alarm company at around 2:30 a.m. Thursday morning.
When security arrived on scene they discovered the front display window was smashed, in addition to another window by the front door. Security also saw smoke coming from inside the building and were worried the business was on fire.
Maple Ridge Fire and Rescue were called along with the Ridge Meadows RCMP.
Theirs was the only store hit by the vandals, making Thoews believe this was a targeted attack.
害羞草研究所淚t does not appear that there was any intent to steal anything. It was meant to scare us, meant to cause a lot of damage,害羞草研究所� said the downtown business owner later that day.
害羞草研究所淎nd they were successful, both of those things happened.害羞草研究所�
This is the second time in a year the store has been targeted, in June, noted Odberg, a man again smashed the glass door of the store, and unleashed a can of bear spray inside.
害羞草研究所淔or this to happen again in a very similar fashion, that害羞草研究所檚 the part that, to me, feels scary. It feels targeted, it feels intentional,害羞草研究所� she said, noting that her mother is both sad and scared, and was too emotional to talk to The News.
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Thoews doesn害羞草研究所檛 know when they will be able to open again, which is devastating, said Thoews, since they are entering their busy season, when the weather is starting to get colder and people are starting to buy cosy scarves and drink warm cups of tea.
害羞草研究所淲e work every day to try and be good members of this community. We give back, we support everybody and to have this happen, not once but twice, it害羞草研究所檚 hard to not take that personally,害羞草研究所� she said.
Cpl. Julie Klaussner with the Ridge Meadows RCMP confirmed that on Thursday, Sept. 21 at around 3:30 a.m., police responded to a report of vandalism to a business in the 11900 block of 224 Street. When they arrived they discovered that the front window to the building had been smashed.
害羞草研究所淭his is currently an ongoing investigation and there are no further details available at this time,害羞草研究所� said Klaussner.
Thoews did add that she doesn害羞草研究所檛 think downtown Maple Ridge is a bad place.
害羞草研究所淓veryday out of the year except for, let害羞草研究所檚 say two or three, we feel safe and supported by this community. And the last thing that I want is for people to feel unsafe coming to our downtown core. It is just a one-off and it害羞草研究所檚 targeted and I hope that it doesn害羞草研究所檛 deter people from supporting ours and other businesses in this downtown core because it is not a scary place to be,害羞草研究所� she said.
Odberg estimates the cost of the ruined inventory in the store between $100,000 to $200,000, in addition to irreplaceable items, like those of a local artisan who passed away in 2020. She added the insurance process can be lengthy and that the owners are now at risk of losing everything.
As of Wednesday morning, Sept. 27, 217 donations had been made, raising $19,115 of a $50,000 goal.
害羞草研究所淥nce Upon a Tea Leaf is more than just a business; it害羞草研究所檚 a labour of love, a testament to family values, and a symbol of community support. For years, we害羞草研究所檝e given back to our Maple Ridge family, cherishing the relationships we害羞草研究所檝e built, and now, we turn to you, our extended family, for help,害羞草研究所� said Odberg online.
To donate go to .
