The scene at the Burstall Credit Union on Monday after a stolen front end loader was used to damage the building and steal an ATM. (CHAT NEWS TODAY)

By Jesse Gill

A series of break-ins leave Burstall, Sask., without its only financial institution

Dec 18, 2023 | 4:39 PM

BURSTALL, SK – A series of break-ins have left the community of Burstall — located 105 kilometres northeast of Medicine Hat — without its only financial institution.

On Sunday at approximately 4:15 a.m., Leader RCMP responded to a break and enter as the business had been hit multiple times by a front end loader.

Kim Lacelle, the chief administrative officer for the rural municipality of Deer Forks, confirmed to CHAT News the payloader, which has damage to the windshield and lighting above it, was stolen out of their shop.

“Well first they stole a truck out of Leader and drove it down this way. Broke into our shop, it looks like they pried open the door because everything was locked there. Grabbed a payloader, drove the payloader just down the street here and proceeded to basically take the whole corner off of the bank,” Lacelle said.

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“They took the ATM out and stole whatever cash they could which I don’t think amounted to a whole bunch.”

RCMP have confirmed that the truck used to haul the ATM was stolen from Leader late in the evening on Dec. 16.

Officers located the dismantled ATM and damaged front end loader at the scene.

Parts of the ATM and the truck were recovered later on Sunday approximately 16 kilometres east of Burstall.

None of the cash has been recovered.

The Burstall Credit Union staff are currently working out of the Richmound branch location about 33 kilometres south east of Burstall.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information can contact the Leader RCMP detachment at 306-628-4600 or Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Lacelle says the event doesn’t sit well.

“Pretty shocked, yeah pretty shocked. Kind of an uneasy feeling when someone comes in here and does that kind of damage it’s unsettling. You know, feel a bit violated to be honest.”

Cranes Restoration was onsite Monday cleaning up the scene at the Credit Union and securing the building.

Shelly Kay, manager of marketing with Cypress Credit Union, confirmed they are looking to do everything they can to restore service to the Burstall branch as soon as possible.

“We are truly thankful that no one was hurt,” Kay said.

No information or data was compromised as the computers and vault where not accessed.

They will have to wait until the exact extent of the damage is determined to have a better idea of when the Burstall branch might open again, officials said.