A red gas can left behind in the ashes of a heritage home fire in Niagara-on-the-Lake is now a piece of evidence in what police are calling a targeted act of criminal arson.
On April 16, a fire tore through the historic, nearly three-acre Glencairn Hall property in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Two days later, the blaze at the unoccupied 1832 home at 14795 Niagara River Pkwy. was deemed “suspicious” by investigators.
“It is believed to have been targeted,” said Const. Philip Gavin with Niagara Regional Police in an email. “The investigation is being treated as a criminal arson.”
Although Gavin said several “investigative elements” are supporting investigators’ decision to look at the fire as arson, they aren’t sharing what they are, except that the gas can, found on the property the day of the fire, is one of them.
Right now, police say they aren’t sharing what information they have related to suspects or persons of interest in the investigation.
Involved in the investigation are detectives and forensic services from the Niagara Regional Police and investigators from the NOTL Fire Prevention and the Office of the Fire Marshal.
Niagara Regional Police media relations officer constable Rich Hingley said investigators haven’t determined the estimated cost of the fire’s damage yet, which may take time, especially given that this is a heritage property. The lead investigator is away until June 26, he added.
Gavin said police don’t know the home’s current structural integrity, which insurance workers will assess.
But within days of the fire, Jim Kettles, operations manager for the fire marshal’s office, deemed it a total loss in an interview with The Lake Report.
Parts of the investigation are not being released to the public, Gavin said, including: Where the fire started on the property, whether there’s evidence of forced entry or other unusual activity prior to the fire and whether the owner has been involved in the investigation or any other investigations related to the property.
But the property owner, which provincial records show is a numbered company (1001021589 Ontario Corp.), incorporated on Sept. 30, 2024, with sole director Scott Cameron Corbett, has been interviewed and is co-operating with the investigation, he said.
Gavin said a public report will not be released.
“That is not something that occurs,” he said. Because if someone is arrested at the end of it all, and the case goes to court, sharing evidence publicly could affect the legal process.
If, for some reason, the investigation gets suspended, police will continue to keep full details private so it doesn’t interfere with future investigative work.
Police are asking businesses and residents in the area with cell phones, closed-circuit video recording, or dash camera footage between 2 and 5 a.m. on April 16 to review the footage and contact police if they find anything suspicious.
Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at 905-688-4111, option 3, extension 1009524. Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for details leading to an arrest.
The site was released to the owner, meaning the investigation of the site is over and they can return to the property for cleanup and restoration, but the investigation remains open and active.
