Police want public’s help in hunt for those who set Mississauga MP’s office on fire

Police are appealing to the public for help in tracking down the person or people who deliberately set fire to Mississauga East-Cooksville MP Peter Fonseca’s constituency office last week.

More than a week after the early morning Feb. 22 blaze destroyed Fonseca’s office and badly damaged two neighbouring businesses at the Burnhamthorpe Rd. E./Tomken Rd. commercial plaza, Peel Regional Police have yet to make an arrest.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and they’re urging anyone with information to call them at 905-453-2121, ext. 1233 or Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

While they’re not releasing many details about the probe, police have said they believe the local politician was specifically targeted in the incident that has shaken the local community.

The Peel Regional Police 12 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau and Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the “suspicious” blaze, which broke out inside the commercial plaza just before 4:30 a.m.

Mississauga firefighters extinguished the blaze, but not before the constituency office was destroyed and two adjacent businesses had suffered extensive damage.

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There were no injuries.

At last week’s meeting of Mississauga general committee, Ward 3 Councillor Chris Fonseca, who’s married to the Mississauga East-Cooksville MP, described the deliberately set fire as a “senseless act.”

She noted that while there were no physical injuries, the incident has shaken those who work in the office and many residents in the community as well.

She added that her husband is seeking support from the federal government to help the impacted businesses in the commercial plaza rebuild.

Mississauga City councillors and staff agreed to help businesses in the plaza that were damaged by the fire. Any required approvals the impacted businesses must seek will be fast-tracked.

Ward 5 Councillor Carolyn Parrish said about a half dozen businesses will likely be impacted and/or shut down for an extended period, so they need help to stay afloat and rebuild.

She was among those who suggested that the City help speed up the process for the businesses.

“It’s tragic. If there’s anything we can do as a municipality, we should,” said Parrish.

Police aren’t saying at this point why they believe the MP’s office was targeted.

However, the fire was reported just hours after Fonseca, a third-term Liberal MP, voted with his party to approve extraordinary, time-limited measures in the Emergencies Act.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the law on Feb. 14 in a bid to end the trucker blockades in Ottawa and at several border crossings.