Stolen red canoe returned to St. Boniface playground

A key element in a Norwood neighbourhood playground improvement project is now back where it belongs.

The Nordale School Nature Playground Project in St. Boniface suffered a setback after one of two donated canoes to be installed in the park was stolen over the long weekend. The red canoe was stolen from inside a locked area.

Organizers worked actively to find the canoe and reported Wednesday that it had been returned.

Ray Dubois, project planner for the playground, said the canoe will be secured within the nature park within the next week or so.

Shortly after the canoe went missing, volunteers with the organization noticed a post on an online buy-and-sell site showing what appeared to be their canoe for sale. While the post was later taken down, they were able to track the listing to a specific location and share information with Winnipeg police.

WATCH: With the help of Winnipeg police, the stolen red canoe has found its way back to the Nordale school playground

0:54 Thanks to Winnipeg police, a stolen red canoe is back at the Nordale school playground

Cst. Rob Carver told Global News the path to tracking down the stolen item was not cut and dry, since the canoe had in fact been sold more than once.

Their online investigation led officers to the canoe, but Carver said the person who had it bought it online, unaware that it had been stolen.

“The guy said he bought the canoe at a really good price and intended to flip it. He posted an ad to sell it, and took it down believing he had a buyer, but got stood up,” Carver said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The guy said he bought the canoe at a really good price and intended to flip it. He posted an ad to sell it, and took it down believing he had a buyer, but got stood up," Carver said.

While the man could have been charged for possession of stolen goods, the neighbourhood organization declined to press charges.

WATCH: Winnipeg police Cst. Rob Carver reminds people if an online deal seems like a steal, it probably is 

0:47 Buyer beware: Winnipeg police warn charges can be laid for ‘steal of a deal’ online purchases

Carver said the location at which the canoe was found was not the same as the one playground volunteers suspected, and police are still looking for the thieves.

WATCH: Global’s Nolan Kowal explains how the stolen canoe from the school playground eventually made its way back to where it belongs.

1:16 Stolen red canoe returned to St. Boniface playground

-With files from Cameron Poitras