A Richmond Mountie has restored a six-year-old boy’s faith in people after his previously donated hockey gear was stolen during a break-in.
Const. Gurch Bharaj, of Richmond RCMP, was investigating a break and enter at a residence in Richmond on Oct. 26 in the 4000 block of Larkspur Ave.
Of the items that were stolen, one stood out to Bharaj — a hockey bag containing equipment belonging to Grant Chen.
The bag had special meaning for Grant, as it was donated earlier in the year by the Richmond Minor Hockey Association.
“Hockey has a profound meaning for many of the officers at Richmond Detachment,” said Cpl. Dennis Hwang.
“The lifelong love of the game began with our fondest childhood memories.
“Something resonated inside Const. Bharaj and he took it upon himself to make things right. No Grinch was going to ruin those memories for Grant.”
Hwang said Bharaj was able to replace some of the hockey equipment out of his own pocket, while the additional gear was donated by Const. George Kapaclis, of the West Vancouver Police Department.
And Chris Blanchette, manager of Canadian Tire in Ironwood Plaza, also stepped in to help.
“Const. Bharaj presented the hockey bag and gear to Grant, an early Christmas present if you will,” added Hwang.
“Grant’s smile was an early present for us as well. It really helped him restore his faith in people.”
Hwang said police have several forensic leads on the break-in and said “Grant is rooting for us to catch the suspect or suspects responsible for this. We will definitely be channelling his positive energy.”
