Getting outside for exercise and fresh air is supposed to be relaxing, but for at least three local hikers, it has ended in nothing but stress.
Barrie resident Jennifer Sidon has enjoyed exploring local trails since moving to the area last spring, but is now finding herself with a $500 repair bill after returning from a hike at a Simcoe County Forest Trails this past weekend.
Sidon said she returned to the parking area on Gill Road in Springwater Township to find the rear passenger window of her vehicle smashed and a purse missing from the back seat.
“At first, I didn’t even notice the window broken to be honest, but when I saw it I was shocked. I’ve been walking local trails for months and I’d never heard of something like this happening. I love walking in the forests, but this has definitely left me feeling pretty uneasy about doing it again,” Sidon told BarrieToday, adding she was lucky the purse was empty with the exception of a few old documents that belonged to her grandmother.
Huronia West OPP have responded to three separate thefts from vehicles since Feb. 3, all of which occurred to vehicles that were parked near a trail access point while the victims were out for a walk on the trail.
The first incident occurred on Feb. 3 between 12 and 1 p.m., at a trail parking lot on Gill Road near the train tracks.
"Upon returning from their walk, the victim noticed that the window was broken and a purse was taken,” stated Const. Liz Newton in a news release.
Three days later, a second vehicle had its window broken while parked in a lot at the Minesing Wetlands Conservation Area on Vespra Valley Road, north of Snow Valley Road. Identification and valuables were taken.
BarrieToday also learned of a fourth incident, which took place Feb. 13 at one of the lots at Copeland Forest.
Const. Raheel Khan, who responded to Sidon's call on Feb. 13, told BarrieToday the thief is looking for credit cards and quick cash.
“If they find credit cards they try to tap it and see what they can get, which hasn’t been much as when they happen it’s being reported rather quickly,” Khan said, adding similar thefts have also been happening in Clearview Township. “I haven’t been able to figure out a pattern yet, but most of the time this is happening during the day. They're not smashing into every car looking around for things, they’re looking for what’s visible and if they can see something then they smash and grab what’s quick.”
While there haven’t been any incidents reported at trails here in the city, Barrie police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon said that’s not to say the people responsible won’t take their show on the road.
“A lot of our trails are down by the water and aren’t as secluded, but it definitely serves as a warning for people," he said. "We are constantly reminding people not to leave valuables behind or in plain sight.”
People need to protect what is theirs so it’s there when they come back, Leon added.
“With some of these trails, you’re parking off the roadway so it’s even more important to be aware of your surroundings and be sure that anything of value is not in plain view because If they see something there, they can smash the window, reach in really quick and grab it and be out of there fast," he said.
Springwater Township resident Jenny Howard has also found herself with a significant repair bill after returning from a walk to find the front passenger window of her vehicle damaged.
“It looked like it had been hit with a BB gun. It had three good holes in the corners, but in talking with people I realized what it was and that we’d likely interrupted them,” she said.
Howard said these thefts have left her and other trail users feeling angry and violated.
“The whole experience is just disheartening. The one thing we can safely right now go for hikes outside, so it’s disappointing after coming back from an enjoyable walk to find something like this,” she said. “I’m not going to let that deter me, but it certainly makes you more aware and more concerned about who might be waiting for you to leave your car.”
Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to contact Huronia West OPP at 705-429-3575 or toll-free at 1-888-310-1122.
