It was a Christmas miracle for Lucky Convenience store owners when residents of Toronto’s Junction neighborhood rallied after their store was robbed just days before Christmas Eve.
“Bad things happen, but good things happen too,” said Polly Xue, owner of the store at 244 Perth Ave. with her husband Andy Xue for 15 years.
In security footage obtained by Global News, two suspects can be seen breaking into the store through the rear entrance and heading toward the cash register.
Toronto Police confirm they responded to reports of a break and enter on December 21, 2024, shortly after 12:30 a.m., during which property was damaged and merchandise was stolen. However, no suspicious information has been released.
By the time Andy Xue was alerted to the alarm and arrived at the store, the suspects had fled.
“We work really hard and they took it all in one minute,” Polly Xue said.
The couple lost nearly $9,000 worth of cigarettes because a large holiday delivery had arrived that morning. The worst part, Xue says, is that they don’t have insurance for stolen goods.
But there was a silver lining to this devastating incident. When neighbors heard about the theft, they didn’t hesitate to intervene.
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Neighbors and regular customers Daniel Wahlen and Trang Nguyen started a GoFundMe on Christmas Eve.
“We felt really bad, because we see Polly often and talk to her quite often,” Wahlen said. “Obviously we felt really bad, because of the timing, and when she told me how many they took, we felt even worse. »
Wahlen and Nguyen said they wanted to find a way to help and knew the community wouldn’t hesitate to step up.
Polly Xue, owner of Lucky Convenience store. January 2, 2025.
Global News
By Christmas, after just a day and a half, GoFundMe had exceeded expectations and earned nearly $10,000, enough to make up for lost revenue.
“It was the perfect way for the neighborhood to show how much they mean to them,” Nguyen said, adding that the couple visits the store almost every other day.
Polly Xue was overcome with joy while speaking with Global News.
“The neighbors here are always very nice to us,” she said, and while she said she wasn’t surprised by her nice community, they might have expected better.
“I didn’t think so many people would defend us,” Xue said.
They include loyal customers like Scott Hobson, who lives across the street and said his heart sank when he learned what happened.
“I probably come here every other day, sometimes every other day,” Hobson said. “It’s just part of my routine.”
Nguyen said “local businesses are really important to our neighborhood.”
“They are part of what builds our community. »
Hobson said it’s more than a store, it’s a community staple.
“It plays a much bigger role than just being a place to make money,” Hobson said. “So I think that’s why people in the community have such a great affinity and love for Polly and her family.” We are so connected to it.
Xue said she was “very moved and grateful to all the people here.”
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.