A week ago, Kim Calderwood went to work ready for a busy day.
Instead, she found her business in shambles. Tomorrow (Nov. 27) she's holding a bake sale to help recoup the cost of some of what she lost in a break-in.
Calderwood is the owner of Bejewelled at the corner of Third Avenue and Cedar downtown Timmins.
After getting a new order of merchandise last Friday, she stayed late to put everything out.
When she got to work the next morning (Nov. 20), the merchandise was gone, along with her desk, and her toolboxes were open.
“Then I seen my jewelry cases, the windows were all busted out, they were completely drained. There’s nothing left in here. They took everything from merchandise to piercing equipment, I didn’t even have a needle left to do a piercing,” she said.
About six months ago, Bejewelled expanded to add a tattoo artist and nail technician.
That side of the building was demolished, she said. Stuff was ripped off the walls and everything was out of the cupboards.
In total, Calderwood said she lost about $30-35,000. That's not counting the loss of the tattoo artist or landlord downstairs.
While she's fully insured for what she needs to legally run her business, she doesn't have content insurance.
“I pay so much in liability insurance as a piercer, it’s excessively expensive in order to have a $1 million liability, which is what you need to have a business downtown Timmins. And because it’s body modification, I pay an excessive amount. So I have to unfortunately pick and choose,” she said.
Security camera footage shows the break-in happened from about 4:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. Police have also been notified.
The thieves entered through an entrance near the back of her shop that's used for another business and broke in through a gate separating the businesses.
This isn't the first time someone has broken in.
After opening a couple years ago, thieves broke in through a front window on Thanksgiving day.
Because it was a new business, she said the landlord replaced the window and she moved on.
This feels different.
“I’m seven months pregnant, I know I’m going to be off for a few months. I lose all of this. I’m violated, it’s a weird feeling,” she said.
To help rebound, Calderwood has auctioned off the merchandise she had left, which she said went well.
Saturday, Nov. 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., a bake sale at the shop is raising more cash.
There will be Christmas goodies, including peanut-free and gluten-free options. The goods are being made by family and a couple of bakeries in town are donating sweets as well.
New piercing equipment arrived today and piercings will be 40 per cent off. It's for walk-ins only.
She said people have been extremely supportive.
“Ever since I opened this business almost two years ago, I’ve bent over backwards for my clients. If you call me at 8:30 and tell me that your piercing fell out and you’re afraid that it’s going to close, I will come to shop and I will hook you up. I do this because I love it. This is my passion. That’s why I’m so hurt by it because Bejewelled is my lifeline and it’s everything I’ve ever worked for,” she said.
