An apparent theft of key equipment from the Skookum Jim Friendship Centre has robbed the local NGO of $14,000 in camping gear and thrown its summer parenting programming into jeopardy.

Joe Migwans, a traditional parenting co-ordinator at the centre, opened up a storage unit Monday to discover an expensive generator had gone missing.

He was already concerned, he admitted, with the location of two wall tents he had looked for earlier in the month up in the air.

Now, he has confirmed the disappearances of three wall tents and their aluminum frames — worth roughly $10,000 total — along with three $500 expedition tents, several high-end camping stoves and the generator.

"The stuff that was taken was of the most value for sure,” Migwans told the Star, noting other gear remained untouched within the storage unit at a locked Marwell-area compound.

"The big thing is that the families that use the stuff are not going to be able to. I don't have the backup plan yet,” he said.

"The tents were great and the stoves kept it nice and warm for the families, the kids, especially at night and in the morning.”

Guides used the gear to take families on week-long camping sessions throughout the summer.

Educational excursions, which started in June and run through August, focus on fishing, harvesting, berry foraging and traditional medicine, and are integral to the centre's traditional parenting program.

"I don't know what to do now,” Migwans said. "We don't have the funds to replace all of that stuff.”

He added the centre had not yet reported the apparent theft to police, wanting first to make sure no one had borrowed the gear, and then to tally up all the property losses.

"It just shows a lack of respect for families,” he said, adding that the centre had accumulated the equipment over several years.

"And I know it's just money and everything — but we don't have the money.”

Board president Justin Ferbey noted the apparent theft could have occurred anytime over the past three to four months.

"We just wouldn't have known,” said Ferbey, who learned about the missing goods this week.

"Obviously, it's disappointing. Although Skookum Jim has a lot of programs, the reality is it's shoestring. A lot of these programs are shoestring ... $14,000 worth of equipment is not a laughing matter for the organization, that's for sure.”

Despite the blow, Migwans remains hopeful. "We are resilient; the camping program will go on.

"We will find a way, there's no doubt about that.”

Migwans is asking anyone with information on the missing gear to contact the centre or police.