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Terrace couple scares away drug dealers

SHADY DEALINGS stopped going on in one southside parking lot after the new owners of a corner store decided to take action.
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DOUG STAINTON

SHADY DEALINGS stopped going on in one southside parking lot after the new owners of a corner store decided to take action.

Doug Stainton and his wife Lydee, who own the Kawrner Store, formerly Danica's Convenience Store, on South Kalum put up a sign a couple of months ago to deter what looked like drug deals going on in their parking lot.

It states, "Drug deals and other illegal activities are now being recorded."

"There's been a lot of positive feedback about it, We're quite happy to leave it up there awhile," said Doug.

They noticed the activity happening a couple times a week after they bought the store on the corner of Kalum St. and Haugland Ave. in November 2011.

And since then, and with the help of a video camera that films the parking lot, it's been a lot quieter.

Doug said when they called the local RCMP detachment to tell them about the transactions going on, they were told to "ask them not to deal drugs in our parking lot."

Shortly afterward, they posted the sign by the door.

Several people have come by to take photos of it as it's been a huge conversation piece, Doug said.

The only negative comment came from a man who said the sign would make a lot of people unhappy and there could be some broken knees because of it.

"[We] take it with a grain of salt," said Lydee.

A couple of people have jokingly asked them if they're going to sell the surveillance tapes and Doug has a reply for them.

"I said 'why, you want to see yourself in action?'" he joked.

Lydee said they see more and more new faces coming into the store now.

"Maybe they're new faces who used to come here and are stopping by [again]," she said.

And Doug has heard from some neighbours who like what they've done.

"One or two mothers say they're not afraid to send their children down the hill," he said.

The local RCMP commends the couple for their actions.

“A person or business can post any type of sign that they feel is necessary, as long as it respects our Canadian Charter of Human Rights,” said Terrace RCMP Const. Angela Rabut.

“We encourage people to report criminal activity to the police and not to confront criminals directly.

“But this is clearly a case of a Terrace citizen having had enough of criminal activity in their town and making an attempt to put a stop to it.”