The Steveston Prowler of 1970

by delsie Laird
(Surrey BC)

Yes there was a Steveston prowler of 1970 Some of you may remember those nights that the prowler walked the streets of Steveston, its hard to believe maybe for some of you. As Steveston was a quiet town and everyone knew almost everybody. The person who prowled the streets may have been your neighbour or gone to school with you. We folks who lived there never had to lock our window or doors. We never were afraid until those nights of the the Steveston Prowler. This is my story and the true facts
He was a man all dressed in Black It was 1970 I was 16 and grew up in steveston. The nights were dark and it would be close to the mid night hour. You could see him walking up and down the street broadway St. My sister and i would peek out the window to see if he was there walking by. Yes we would see him many nights. Our home was a 2 storey home and our bedrooms were on the top floor. The first night I do remember was I was sitting out side in my boy friends car and my father had come out to get me I did not know why. he said the night prowler had been peering in our front window and I said oh my. It was a few days after that and in the morning my father had complained that someone was borrowing our ladder and not returning it, Several mornings my father found it laying on the grass outside in the yard not where he keeps it stored. Oh I thought our windows and door never were locked I better go check this out. I started looking around the house Ladder marks underneath our bedroom windows. I told my father, he went and secured all the doors and windows with new locks and the ladder he chained it up. Now i was always picked up by my Mom from the bus stop just a few blocks away from my returning from work this one evening from work she asked me to use my new key to the front door and let myself in. As I was walking up to the house i thought i heard something. I was so scared and shaking someone was in the washroom so I started yelling to please help me come let in as I could not get the key in the lock. My Mother turned the porch light on and opened the door. I went in and said hello to my family then proceeded up the stairs to the bedroom I shared with my sister. I could see she tried to pull the blind down on the window and had it all crooked I thought I should try to fix it I lifted up th blind and OH MY GOD there was the night prowler looking straight at me smiling I yelled so loud he must of fallen off the ladder. My father ran out looking for him didnt find him or ever see him again..I am sharing this with everyone today as I was afraid of the dark for many years because of this experience and I am sure I was not the only home the night prowler went to. I hope others will come forward and tell their experience too, This prowler knows he did wrong whoever he is, I am sure we all know him from Steveston. Some neighbour, but we all know him now, he is known as the night prowler of Steveston..