A Saint-Lazare shopkeeper is crying out after her business was vandalized three times in the space of a few days.

Cathy Lévesque owns the Schtroumffé Schtroumffa Un papillon de Bonheur inc. boutique at the corner of Saint-Angélique and Bédard in Saint-Lazare. In recent days, its business has been the victim of not one, but three acts of vandalism.

An act that seems to have targeted Cathy Lévesque's store alone, since no other business in the area has suffered any damage, according to the Sûreté du Québec.

"Nothing has been observed or reported by neighboring businesses. We haven't had any reports of vandalism in the area," says Valérie Beauchamp of the Sûreté du Québec.

Disturbing Christmas decor

"The first time, it was pretty harmless. They moved and threw decorative Christmas trees near the little stream at the back of the store. The second time, they broke our castle. Fortunately, we managed to repair it," Ms. Lévesque told Néomédia. 

When Cathy Lévesque arrived at her boutique on Sunday, she was surprised to see her holiday decor ransacked.

"We had set up a sleigh with snowmen and reindeer. Everything was lit up. All the people who come to the store tell me how much they appreciate our decorations, that it adds life. There were even families stopping to take photos in our holiday decor. Unfortunately, when we arrived on Sunday, everything had been turned upside down. The sleigh that was chained to a tree had fallen over, and some reindeer were broken. That's when I decided to call the police," adds the owner. 

According to Cathy Lévesque, it couldn't have been just one person. "It must have taken several people to tip the sled over. To lift it, we'll need at least four people with good arms. There's no way it could have been just one person," she laments.

At present, no suspects are in the police's sights. That said, Cathy Lévesque urges her fellow shopkeepers to be vigilant.

"Saint-Lazare is a dead village. There aren't many attractions here. I find it really heartbreaking, and in the current economic climate, it's nothing to help shopkeepers. With my decorations, all I want to do is brighten up the downtown area a bit and bring a little joy to families," she concludes.