It was a Christmas miracle for Lucky Convenience store owners when residents of Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood stepped up after their store was robbed just days before Christmas Eve.
“Bad things happen, but good things happen too,” said Polly Xue, who has owned the shop at 244 Perth Ave. with her husband Andy Xue for 15 years.
On security footage obtained by Global News, two suspects can be seen breaking into the store through the back entrance and making their way to the cash register.
Toronto police confirm they responded to reports of a break-in on Dec. 21, 2024, just after 12:50 a.m., where property was damaged and merchandise was stolen, however, no suspect information has been released.
By the time Andy Xue was alerted of the alarm and got to the store, the suspects had fled.
“We work so hard, and they took it all, in one minute,” Polly Xue said.
The couple lost nearly $9,000 worth of cigarettes, as a large holiday delivery had come in that morning. The worst part, Xue said, is that they don’t have insurance on the stolen merchandise.
But with that devastating incident came a silver lining. When neighbours heard about the robbery, they didn’t hesitate to step up.
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Neighbours and regular customers Daniel Wahlen and Trang Nguyen launched a GoFundMe on Christmas Eve.
“We felt horrible, because we see Polly often and speak quite often with her,” Wahlen said. “Obviously we felt horrible, because of the timing, and when she told me how much they took we felt worse.”
Wahlen and Nguyen said they wanted to find a way to help, and knew the community wouldn’t hesitate to step up.
By Christmas, after just a day and a half, the GoFundMe had exceeded expectations and made nearly $10,000, enough to make up for the lost revenue.
“It was the perfect way for the neighbourhood to showcase how much they mean to them,” Nguyen said, adding that the couple visit the store almost every other day.
Polly Xue was overwhelmed with joy while speaking with Global News.
“The neighbours here, they are so nice to us all the time,” she said, and while she said she is not surprised by her kind community, this was more they ever could have expected.
“I didn’t know so many people would stand up for us,” Xue said.
They include loyal customers like Scott Hobson, who lives across the street said his heart sank when he heard about what happened.
“I probably come here every two days, sometimes every other day,” Hobson said. “It’s just a part of my routine.”
Nguyen said that “local shops are really important to our neighbourhood.”
“They are part of what builds our community.”
Hobson said it’s more than a store, it’s a community staple.
“It performs a much larger role than just being a place to make money,” Hobson said. “And so I think that’s why people in the community have such a great affinity and great love for Polly and her family. We’re so connected to it.”
Xue said she was “so moved, and thankful for all of the people here.”
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
