Hide-tanning equipment stolen from West Kelowna high school

Most of Mount Boucherie Secondary School’s hide-tanning supplies were stolen in a break in this week.

Around 1 a.m. on Dec. 14, unknown suspects broke into the back of the high school and stole important equipment for the Grade 11 Science for Citizen’s course, according to an email sent out to parents.

Among the missing items are a racoon hide, a one gallon bin of tan hide degreaser, three hammers, two new patio heaters, a scalpel, hide scraping tools, 1.2 kilograms of citric acid and over a kilo of coarse salt.

These supplies are vital to the operation of a new science course developed by teacher Craig Arsenault.

READ MORE: Students are swapping test tubes for animal hides in West Kelowna

The course aimed to offer an alternative to traditional biology, chemistry and physics classes by showing students how to tan animal hides and preserve food. This more hands on approach had been a hit with students up until the theft.

The school is asking for the local community to be on the look out for the stolen items, especially any 102-litre black storage totes with yellow lids, of which the school lost five, and the two patio heaters which were still in their original boxes. 

Anyone within information about the missing items is asked to email Principal Scott Sieben at scott.sieben@sd23.bc.ca or contact the school at 250 870-5101.

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