December 13, 2023

HAMMER-WIELDING VANDALISM AT MUSKOKA WHARF ‘DELIBERATE’ AND ‘PREMEDITATED,’ SAY BUSINESS OWNERS

GRAVENHURST — Video of a malicious two-fisted, hammer-wielding vandal who smashed a pair of windows at the Muskoka Wharf early Monday shows the acts were definitely “deliberate” and “pre-meditated.”

And not random, say the owners of the Shipyards of Muskoka Marketplace and Blue Willow Tea Room who both a little shaken and concerned.

Neither was entered.

**Blue Willow owners Alison McKinnon and Pam Harris show the broken window following Monday’s malicious early morning vandalism act. They say it was not customer or former staff related.**

Early Monday December 11 “at 3:16 a.m.,” a north window — three-feet square — at the tea room was smashed, co-owner Alison McKinnon told MuskokaTODAY.com this morning.

She and her partner Pam Harris were still able to open today for business lunch and dinner as usual after posting video on social media later Monday.

Harris called it “senseless” and “disappointing at this time of year.”

Their video shows the person slowly walking up a boardwalk incline, hesitate, turn back right and with a short two-handed swing smash the window then trot up toward the Lion’s Pavilion next door carrying the hammer in right hand.

**Shipyards owner Bart Kraczkowski and vendor Sue Singerling with the window broken there, seen just over his shoulder. He now believes, after looking at video, that it was a woman wielding the hammer.**

Neighbour Bart Kraczkowski, owner of the Shipyards, was also victim of what he has now come to believe was a “woman.”

He says other Wharf business video he’s seen shows the perpetrator can be traced walking from the far west end of the Muskoka Lake business development past the Pharmasave and Boston Pizza before wielding the hammer at the pair of windows.

Harris and Atkinson both don’t believe it was customer or staff related, stressed Atkinson.

Kraczkowski, who was pouring coffee Wednesday morning, said vendor Sue Singerling called him in the back when a town employee came in to let her know what had happened.

He hadn’t noticed it when the plate-sized break when he opened up doors at the south-end entrance.

It was located just over head-high to the left of the red doors.

Both businesses also face onto Cockburn Square, a public community space next to the Segwun and Wenonah II ships — where both popular tourism attractions in the “Gateway to Muskoka” waterfront are located.

A tree-lighting event was recently held next to them.

Both were the only two businesses hit.

**Video shows the vandal rounded the corner of Cockburn Square and went up the ramp, turned and with a vicious two-fisted swing hammered the window, breaking it through.**

Tanya Evans, owner of Hawke Stone Soap Co. located between the buildings, called it “terrible at this time of year.”

The Blue Willow owners say video from several surveillance cameras outside around their blue-sided building show the person walking past it more than once before finally turning, hesitating and finally striking the window with one large, single, over-the-right-shoulder back-handed blow.

A small hole in the Blue Willow window was broken right through, but fortunately tea cup sets that were knocked off shelves weren’t damaged and only shards of glass remained on the floor that were cleaned up.

Piles of tea cups sat on a table beside the boarded up window today.

The window will have to be replaced.

The Shipyards’ window, too, will require replacement — though it is several feet larger.

**McKinnon and Harris show a shelf where tea cups and tea pots were knocked off – but luckily not broken.**

Both businesses were first alerted after town contractors working on wharf decking next to the Shipyards informed the town who in turn spoke to the business owners.

Kraczkowski showed video from Boston Pizza taken at the time of a person who was clearly “masked” walking toward the east where the vandalism took place.

He thinks the person could have parked elsewhere on the property and walked to the Blue Willow and Shipyards.

Police, who are investigating, have yet to release a report on what happened.