A real estate office in Battleford is the latest victim of vandalism in the area.
The office of Battlefords Realty Solutions AKL Ltd. on 21st Street in Battleford was ransacked over the weekend.
According to owner Lynne Burton, the entire office was vandalized, and all equipment - including three computers and the copy machine - was destroyed.
The vandals splashed white paint all over office furniture, the walls, over the flooring and on the desks. Paint was even poured inside the desks.
The basement sink was also plugged up and flooded by the vandals. Chairs throughout the office were ripped up and a few items were stolen, such as cameras.
Fortunately, the office files and personal records remained secure, and no keys were stolen. No personal or client information was stolen or accessed in the incident, said Burton.
The RCMP were on hand for several hours Sunday to survey the damage and search for fingerprints.
Coming in to see the damage done to their place of business was "disheartening," Burton said. "We put our heart and soul into this."
"They hurt our pride," said Burton. "It's going to take a while to get it back.
While "saddened" by the incident at her office, Burton said "we hope someday these people will get caught and punished."
Their office is offering a $1,000 reward for the arrest and conviction for the individuals responsible.
Realty Solutions has been in business since 2010, with realtors Burton, Kandice Tomaz and Stephanie Lees currently based at the Battleford location.
A dollar figure on the damage is not confirmed, however damage was so extensive that Burton said their insurance does not even cover it all. According to Burton, the insurance covers the cost of the building but not the desks and other items damaged.
Vandalism has been a major concern throughout the Battlefords in recent years. Area schools had been hard hit by break-ins in recent years, as have some other local businesses. Earlier this year, North Battleford saw a number of businesses on 100th Street hit by a graffiti-spraying spree, with the exterior of several businesses painted over.
Those at the real estate office were still picking up the pieces Monday. While the front reception area was largely cleaned up, the mess in the rest of the building was still obvious.
In spite of what happened, Realty Solutions AKL Ltd. remains open for business, and Burton pledged to carry on at their location in spite of what happened. They were thankful to those who have offered their support.
There was one positive to come out of the whole situation: one of the RCMP officers gave them a flower plant at the front desk. "That made my day," Burton said.
