Girl Guides devastated after campground robbed, vandalized

MONTREAL — When a young girl guide shows up at your door this fall trying to sell cookies, you may want to think twice before saying no.

Girl Guides will be keen to increase their cookie sales this year after thieves robbed and vandalized their beloved Wa-Thik-Ane campground in Morin Heights, which has welcomed Girl Guides from across Quebec for generations.

Vandals made off with 10 new tents worth $6,000 and other equipment, including a generator and a chainsaw. They ransacked several buildings, damaged door frames and destroyed mattresses and first aid kits. They also put a Canadian flag in a sink and poured red dye on, said Valerie Zaloum, the Quebec Girl Guides provincial commissioner.

“It’s just devastating,” she said of last week’s robbery. “All of these materials are acquired through the sale of cookies. Do you know how many cookies it takes to buy a chainsaw?”

News of the damage to the Wa-Thik-Ane camp in the Laurentians spread quickly via Facebook and through the media. Many former Montreal guides and guiding supporters were outraged by the vandalism and offers to help have been pouring in.

The response has been extraordinary from people who care about the guiding movement, not just Quebec but right across Canada, Zaloum said.

After news of the damage spread, many volunteers spent hours helping to clean up so Wa-Thik-Ane will be ready this weekend for the annual provincial fall camp day. About 400 girls are expected to attend on Saturday.

Although the Girl Guides have insurance, Zoloum said the deductible is high and some things will be difficult to replace because the guiding movement is run on a shoestring budget. The Girl Guides cover their expenses through membership fees and by selling cookies.