Local outdoorsmen find dumped stolen ATM machine

By Corrine Gadke

Two local outdoorsmen from the Woodlands County area were completely surprised the morning of Wednesday, February 12. At 8:30 a.m., the active forest goers came around a corner on a cut across road NW from Secondary Highway 658 north of Blue Ridge. They found the main body of a metal machine first. About half a kilometre farther down the same road they saw the top of the machine that distinctly read ATM. With further investigation, the two men noticed tire tracks backing into the ditch directly in front of the discarded stolen property. They called the RCMP.

“This isn’t the first time we have found stolen property dumped in the area. In the past year or so we have found stolen vehicles, one F350 completely stripped and burnt, some industrial-sized oil drums full of oil, and even an industrial ladder, the kind you see on the side of an oil tank with rings around it. It’s sad to see the area being used as a dumping ground for thieves. We report all findings to the RCMP as soon as we come across anything hoping they find the people responsible,” said one of the men.

Angered and tired of all the recent thefts around the Whitecourt and Woodlands County area, the two men hope that everyone is diligent and forthcoming with any information such as they are.

“Perhaps as a community, we can help local authorities in catching the person or persons responsible for these criminal activities. If anyone has any information, please contact the local RCMP detachment,” he added.