North Vancouver woman Glycia Nunes Lopes was preparing for a trip abroad when her wallet, containing important visa documents, was stolen.
On Monday, Lopes' wallet went missing from a secure locker at Fitness World in Lonsdale, and her permanent residency papers, alongside credit cards, debit cards and U.S. and Canadian cash, went with it.
"On Sept. 26, Glycia Nunes Lopes attended a local gym for a workout," read a statement from the RCMP. "She stored her wallet in a secure locker, but when she returned, she found the locker had been forced open, and her wallet stolen. She reported the incident to North Vancouver RCMP, who commenced an investigation; however, RCMP have not yet been able to recover her wallet."
Now the trip to Europe Lopes was due to embark on in two weeks' time has been cancelled, and the time that should have been spent preparing for a holiday is instead being funnelled into cancelling flights and hotel stays, reordering new visa documents, and finding the perpetrator.
"I don't even know how to describe how I am feeling," said Lopes.
"It's only now that I can speak without crying. The wallet is replaceable, but it is the stress that I'm going through, and the fact that I can't travel – that's what they have really taken from me."
Lopes, who is currently trying to liaise with three different airlines and three different hotels, said it is unlikely she will get a refund for the money already invested in her planned 10-day trip abroad.
Lopes said she is at a loss for what to do next, adding that the advice regarding stolen visa documents is "really unclear" and "unhelpful."
"I checked this week, and it would take 88 days to get it replaced in Canada. If I travel and apply for it outside of Canada, that would take at least three weeks," she said, adding it would be impossible to tee up the dates with her 10-day travel plan, especially given that her trip spanned multiple countries.
The gym, which Lopes "still hasn't found the strength" to return to, has said they are not responsible for items kept in lockers.
Police are urging the person responsible to come forward and return the wallet, while anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact North Vancouver RCMP at 604-985-1311.
Mina Kerr-Lazenby is the North Shore News' Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
