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Rash of fires at Heart Lake Conservation
Thursday July 12 2007
- Brampton Guardian
BRAMPTON - Security will be beefed up at Heart Lake Conservation Area after three recent fires, including one that destroyed the boathouse in the early morning hours Monday.
"It (the boathouse) is quite a loss to the community," said Derek Edwards, director of parks and culture for the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). "There's very few places in the community that you can go out and boat and do some recreational fishing."
The boathouse also doubled as a snack bar, and the fire has left the TRCA scrambling to set up a temporary service out of the beach house to serve the needs of visitors and summer campers.
"It won't be at the same standard, but it will be a temporary location," Edwards said. "But we will provide service."
The fire was the third act of arson in the park in recent days. On Saturday night, a brush fire broke out, and approximately a week earlier, a fire was set in a garbage container, according to Edwards.
Vandalism is nothing new at the park, located on Heart Lake Road just north of Sandalwood Parkway, but the spate of fires has conservation officials concerned.
Security at the park will be beefed up substantially, with increased police patrols and the TRCA's own private security officers spending a lot more time in the park, he said.
Peel police are looking for witnesses to the 3 a.m. fire that also caused damage to the docks and a walkway connecting the beach area to the upper bank.
The TRCA will replace the boathouse, but it has not been decided when. The TRCA had planned on relocating the building, probably in five year's time, as part of the Master Plan for the park.
There were no boats in the boathouse. It was used for storage for boating accessories such as life jackets and oars, all of which were destroyed in the fire.
Police and Brampton firefighters rushed to the conservation area and found the boathouse on the east shore of the lake on fire. The flames were doused, but the boathouse was destroyed. The Ontario Fire Marshal's Office was on scene Monday trying to determine the cause of the fire.
The boathouse, built in conjunction with the local YMCA, was more than 15 years old, according to Edwards. Edwards said there is no estimate of the damage available yet, but police pegged the loss at approximately $55,000.
Anyone with information is asked to call Peel police at 905-453-3311, ext. 2233, or Peel Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
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