ONTARIO COMPUTERS STOLEN http://recorder.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2916348

Help needed after computers stolen from BGH

City and district

RONALD ZAJAC Staff Writer

Posted 2 hours ago

RONALD ZAJAC The Recorder and TimesSherry Anderson, left, director of Brockville General Hospital's Garden Street site, and Debbie Wykes pose with a new computer Wykes donated for the Internet caf at the hospital's Garden Street site.

Debbie Wykes has more than enough Christmas generosity left over to respond to a cruel act – and she hopes other local businesspeople will follow her lead.

Wykes, owner of Goliger's Travel Plus on Parkedale Avenue, is donating a computer to Brockville General Hospital after learning that someone stole the three laptops used in an Internet café for patients at the hospital's Garden Street site.

"It was just very upsetting," said Wykes, adding the computers were being used, among others, by patients in the palliative care service.


Wykes learned of the theft, which happened last week, from her friend Sherry Anderson, director of the Garden Street site.

"I thought: 'How awful,'" said Wykes, who is challenging other local businesses to match her donation so the hospital can reopen its Internet café.

The Internet café at the Garden Street site was made possible through a donation from the 1000 Islands Community Development Corporation and has been up and running since August, said hospital spokesman Maggie Wheeler.

The three laptops were being used by patients of the palliative care, rehabilitation and complex continuing care services, said Wheeler.

Hospital officials and police say the theft happened during the day last Wednesday.

"They took the three laptops," said Wheeler. "They were secured, but the cables were snipped."

The Internet café has played a valuable role for patients at the site, added Wheeler.

"That was their window on the world and it was wonderful to open it up."

The theft happened during the holiday break, when patients are even more interested in keeping in touch with loved ones, said Wheeler.

Anderson said patients at the site are upset about the theft.

"It was definitely well used by patients and families," she said.

"It's certainly a way that families can get away from the bedside for a few minutes and communicate with loved ones across the country."

Wheeler is heartened to hear of Wykes's initiative, as the hospital likely does not have any money available to replace the computers.

"That's wonderful," said Wheeler.

Anderson noted the computer Wykes donated is a larger desktop model, one that cannot be so easily slipped out.

She hopes the hospital's information technology staff can quickly get the Internet café set up with at least this one new computer.

"Certainly, we hope to get it up and running again as soon as possible," she said.

City police are continuing to investigate the theft, said Insp. Scott Fraser.

"We've got some pretty good leads that our officers are looking at."

Police believe the computers were stolen over a period of three or four hours during the middle of the day last Wednesday, said Fraser.

Police are taking the crime seriously, he added.

"It just boggles your mind that people would do that," said Fraser, who hopes the stolen property can be recovered.


ronz@recorder.ca

Article ID# 2916348