Wednesday, April 8, 2026
ADVT 
National

Additional charges laid after Masonic hall fires

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 06 Apr, 2021 11:58 PM
  • Additional charges laid after Masonic hall fires

Police say five more charges have been approved against a man accused of setting fire to three Masonic halls in Metro Vancouver last week.

Police say 42-year-old Benjamin Kohlman was charged Tuesday with two counts of arson and three counts of break and enter to commit arson after fires in Vancouver and North Vancouver.

Police arrested Kohlman in nearby Burnaby within a few hours of the fires.

He was charged the following day with one count of arson in relation to the fire in Vancouver, as well as one count of assaulting a police officer.

All three fires were allegedly set in the span of an hour last Tuesday.

The first call came in at around 6:45 a.m. about a fire at the Lynn Valley Lodge in North Vancouver, while a second fire reported minutes later severely damaged a Masonic centre located four kilometres away.

Fire officials said the third fire at a Masonic hall in east Vancouver was reported around 7:30 a.m. and caused little damage.

MORE National ARTICLES

Vancouver approves climate emergency action plan

Vancouver approves climate emergency action plan
Green Coun. Pete Fry says in a social media post that council voted in favour of the plan Tuesday night.

Vancouver approves climate emergency action plan

New COVID peaks in B.C. with 717 cases, 11 deaths

New COVID peaks in B.C. with 717 cases, 11 deaths
A joint statement from Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix urges people to work together to stay small and stay local to help slow the spread of the illness.

New COVID peaks in B.C. with 717 cases, 11 deaths

Meng's border exam was necessary: officer

Meng's border exam was necessary: officer
Supt. Sanjit Dhillon says he would not have authorized the immediate execution of the provisional arrest warrant by the RCMP in the case because there were outstanding national security and criminality concerns about Meng.

Meng's border exam was necessary: officer

Canada seeing 'exceptionally low' levels of flu

Canada seeing 'exceptionally low' levels of flu
Many health experts feared that a fall wave of COVID-19 would not only be worse than the first wave in the spring, but it would come just as seasonal flu infections started to spread, making it impossible for hospitals to keep up.

Canada seeing 'exceptionally low' levels of flu

Charges laid against Surrey man found in possession of modified SKS rifle

Charges laid against Surrey man found in possession of modified SKS rifle
The man was held in custody and on November 8, 2020, 43-year-old Reginald Bitternose was charged with four offences related to the illegal possession of a firearm.

Charges laid against Surrey man found in possession of modified SKS rifle

Privacy bill includes fines for data misuse

Privacy bill includes fines for data misuse
The legislation tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday is designed to flesh out the 10 principles of the federal digital charter and bring Canada's much-maligned privacy regime for businesses into the modern era.

Privacy bill includes fines for data misuse