Monday, June 1, 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

Five highlights from the throne speech

Five highlights from the throne speech
Aiming to make Canada a world leader in clean technology, the Liberals promise a new fund to attract investments in making zero-emissions products. The government will also cut the corporate tax rate in half for these companies.

Five highlights from the throne speech

Liberals vow wage-subsidy extension, EI revamp

Liberals vow wage-subsidy extension, EI revamp
Today, the Liberals' throne speech promised to extend the subsidies to summer 2021, acknowledging the economic situation facing many employers is still fraught.

Liberals vow wage-subsidy extension, EI revamp

Time to greenlight rapid COVID-19 tests: experts

Time to greenlight rapid COVID-19 tests: experts
Canadians across the country are finding it harder to get tested for COVID-19, as demand soars and the capacity to swab people and test those swabs in labs is maxed out.

Time to greenlight rapid COVID-19 tests: experts

Airbnb portal gives local governments more control

Airbnb portal gives local governments more control
Vancouver and Calgary are among the 10 North American cities included in the new portal, which Airbnb says will also aid in rebuilding post-pandemic tourism and providing technical support.

Airbnb portal gives local governments more control

Horgan wants stability not political uncertainty

Horgan wants stability not political uncertainty
The NDP reached an agreement to govern with the Green party after the 2017 election, but Horgan says the deal started showing signs of instability in the legislature this summer.

Horgan wants stability not political uncertainty

Thousands stolen from charity in Maple Ridge

Thousands stolen from charity in Maple Ridge
The early investigation suggests a black pickup truck might be involved as one was seen leaving the area at a high rate of speed around the time of the incident.

Thousands stolen from charity in Maple Ridge