“It looked like brown lava flowing from the roof.”
That is how Scott Collacutt described the mud, silt and water he had to remove after a suspected act of vandalism caused major flooding in his Grandin mall business cost him almost $20,000 in repairs.
The CEO of Force On Force, a tactical training facility located in the basement of the former mall below the Scotiabank, said he is hoping someone will come forward with a tip on the vandals.
The RCMP is still investigating the case.
“It came out through our roof and damaged several of our building (replicas), busted off our props, damaged our targets and we spent a good part of 10 days just pulling the mud out,” he said. “It took over 24 hours to pump out the water.”
Collacutt said he noticed the flooding when he came to work on Saturday, Sept. 27.
He heard what sounded like rushing air (or water, he said in hindsight) before stepping downstairs into the facility. There he found eight inches of water and mud covering the floor, with more water still coming from the roof.
Collacutt said someone had turned on a water pipe in the building and unscrewed the bolt used to lock the fire hydrant upstairs.
The water was flowing into the part of the building that houses the Scotiabank and SHAVA Bookstore. It did not enter those businesses though, flowing downstairs instead, he said.
Cpl. Laurel Kading with the St. Albert RCMP said there is security on site but not necessarily 24 hours a day. Due to the construction, parts of the building are easier to gain access to, she added.
“Because there was construction and demolition the place did have some openings,” she said. “So it wouldn’t be difficult for someone to go in and find (the water pipes).”
Kading said police have recommended that mall security increase its hours.
Anyone with information on this crime can call the RCMP at 780-458-7700, or Crime Stoppers if they wish to remain anonymous. Crime Stoppers can be reached at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
