The woman who stole plants from outside Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery in Vernon (submitted photo)

By Liam Verster

Ransacking Planters

Local distillers looking to identify ‘plant bandit’

Jun 20, 2025 | 10:59 AM

The Vernon branch of Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery is looking to identify a person who stole plants from the property.

Jeremie Dyck, owner of the distillery, said a “plant bandit” snuck onto the property in the early hours of Wednesday, June 18, and stole a number of flowers from multiple planters.

See surveillance video below.

The release from the distillery said the flowers were planted by Dyck’s 80-year-old mother, and while the monetary loss may seem minor, the emotional toll is significant.

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“This isn’t the first time,” Dyck said in the media release.

“But this time, the Plant Bandit was seen shopping through our planters like they were strolling a garden center. When it affects Mom, it’s personal.”

He added his mother was happy when she planted the original flowers, but was “smiling a lot less as she re-plants them.”

The distillery captured photos and video of the “plant bandit” on its surveillance camera, and asked the public for help nabbing the flower thief.

Okanagan Spirits also offered a $100 gift certificate for any information that “leads to an identification or a solution to keep mom happy.”