Candace Kent has owned her store, Fruit Stand, on Black Street for almost 35 years now. 

Last weekend, she discovered that her shop had been broken into – yet again.

“We left around 7 p.m. on Saturday and returned here at noon (Sunday), the longtime business owner told The Yukon Star in an interview Monday afternoon.

“They pushed the air conditioner off the wall and entered through that small hole.” 

According to Kent, the theft caused a huge mess in the store. As well, $7,000 worth of seafood and steaks that were in the freezer were stolen – as well as three of her shopping carts.

She’s asking local residents to keep an eye out for individuals suddenly starting to sell these types of food products.

There were multiple signs that lead Kent to believe that so-called “street people” were to blame.

“We all figured it was people involved with drugs, street people selling it for drug money,” she said.

The RCMP responded to the incident at around 1:30 p.m. on the same day. Upon their arrival, fingerprints and information were collected.

This was not the first time the store has experienced a break-in or shoplifting. She told the Star this was the sixth time it had happened.

“The thefts started around 2005,” she said, adding that every time, the thieves would go after the seafood because it’s the most valuable stock.

Kent has been trying to prevent such incidents from happening since they began, such as better securing the door or installing cameras, but the crimes haven’t stopped.

Since the store only operates during the warmer months, such a loss might force her to keep it open year-round to stem the financial loss and watch over things, she said.

“It’s certainly discouraging. I don’t know what to do. I’m trying to keep my overhead down, so I work 100 hours a week,” she said.

At this point, Kent has no idea how the RCMP can improve things, especially since she appreciates that officers have already been patrolling the area all day.

Lane Tredger, the NDP MLA for Whitehorse Centre, told the Star Tuesday they visited the store on Monday afternoon because of the latest incident.

“It was really sad to hear about the break-in at Candace’s over the weekend. We all really love that business,” said Tredger.

“I went by (Monday) to chat with her and see if I could help. I was somewhat heartened to hear (when) she talked about how much support she’s received from the community and how that’s made a significant difference for her.”

By acknowledging that the store has suffered several break-ins in the past, they believe the root of the problem is the cost of living.

“When people can’t afford food, that’s when we see these kinds of crimes increase,” Tredger said.

“Unfortunately, in the Yukon, we’re facing those situations. Neither the Liberals nor the Yukon Party did a good job ensuring that people can access housing, and I think we see it play out in crimes like this. That’s really what we need to change.”