Halifax police are investigating a break and enter at the Dartmouth Heritage Museum, located at 26 Newcastle St. Museum staff say they encountered an unwelcome surprise when they arrived at the Evergreen House on Thursday. “Our front door pried open, original 1867 leaded glass doors cracked, our cash machine pulled from the wall, and donation bin laying on the floor, emptied,” reads a social media post from the museum. “Clearly someone had left in a hurry,” Amanda Furniss, the museum’s executive director tells CTV News Atlantic. She says the most unfortunate part of the ordeal is the damage done to the heritage glass doors at the front of the house. The doors had undergone conservation work last year to repair cracks from a long time ago. “So we’ll have to come up with a strategy there to replace some of the damaged panes,” says Furniss. After searching the building, she says at least the museum’s artefacts are accounted for and staff are safe. Police received the break and enter report around 2:15 a.m. “Upon arrival, officers confirmed a break in had occurred and the suspect(s) fled with a quantity of money from a donation box. Officers searched the area but did not locate anyone,” says a Halifax Regional Police spokesperson in a statement to CTV News Atlantic. The facility closed for the morning as police attended the scene and museum staff cleaned up the mess. “We rely on donations as part of our operational funding, especially this year there was a 20 per cent reduction to our provincial funding through the Community Museums Assistance Program, so now more than ever we’re relying on donations,” says Furniss. “We understand, it’s a difficult time for everyone, that not everyone can donate and that’s okay,” she adds, saying that’s why the museum offers free admission and events. “But if anyone is willing to support, you know, we would really appreciate any kind of support that we could get during these challenging times.” No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
