Keep your eyes peeled for Muskoka chairs that are suddenly on sale. It may warrant a call to the police.
The Ontario Provincial Police’s (OPP) Bracebridge detachment is investigating the theft of a 24-foot enclosed trailer stolen from the Muskoka Chair Company’s property on Henshaw Lake Road in Muskoka Lakes Township on Halloween night.
Inside the trailer were 180 Muskoka chairs, unassembled and packaged in boxes. Each chair is valued at approximately $500.
Between the trailer and the Muskoka chairs, the stolen goods are valued at $110,000.
“As a small business, we feel this invasion of our space deeply. It’s honestly infuriating. Please keep your eyes peeled, and if you see this trailer anywhere, please call the local police,” the Muskoka Chair Company wrote in a Facebook post.
A family-run business founded in 1995, the Muskoka Chair Company is well known for its colourful, reclining chairs crafted from cedar, recycled plastics, and other materials. The iconic chairs have become symbols of cottaging in Ontario, dotting docks across the province.
It’s unclear exactly when the theft occurred, but a white pick-up truck was caught on camera on the night of October 31, the night of the theft, driving away from the Muskoka Chair Company property with the trailer.
“Any information from the public is usually what helps us get some movement in an investigation,” says Provincial Constable Samantha Bigley. “Anyone in the area that may have video footage from their own private properties, some people have their own surveillance cameras or video doorbells, those sorts of things can give us more clues on how to identify the suspect vehicle. Information from the public is always key in helping solve these.”
The Bracebridge OPP asks anyone with information or video footage of the stolen trailer to contact (888)310-1122. If you want to remain anonymous, meaning you won’t have to testify in court, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit your information online at www.crimestopperssdm.com. Providing Crime Stoppers with information could lead to a $2,000 cash reward.