N.W.T. licence plate theft riles Vancouver cafe owners
'It was my first licence plate... something I've kind of carried with me'
A group of former Yellowknifers who run a cafe in Vancouver are on the hunt for a missing N.W.T. licence plate. It was one of several Northern artifacts that make the Caffé Rustico a draw for Northerners in the South.
And it was one that got a lot of use.
"We take mug shots of people with the licence plate," says Jaclyn Ruptash, one of the cafe's owners.
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The photos are kept in a little book customers can browse. Often, Yellowknifers who pop in will recognize other Yellowknifers.
When a group came in on Saturday, they noticed the licence plate was gone.
"It was my first licence plate," said Ruptash, "so something I've kind of carried with me. A little piece of the past and reminder of the North."
Ruptash remains optimistic she'll see it again. The cafe put out a call on social media, asking for the licence plate's return.
"There's an envelope slot on Caffé Rustico's door, 3136 Main St., where this person can discreetly return it before 11 tonight."
But, she says, life will go on regardless.
"We do realize it's not the end of the world."
Yellowknifers who visit the cafe in the meantime won't be disappointed. There's still a Ragged Ass Road sign ("which people find pretty hilarious — that it's a real road") and a copy of Pat Kane's book of photography, North.