Thursday, June 25, 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

New Rental Homes Open For People In Mission

Close to 70 new affordable homes are now available for low- to middle-income families and individuals as a new rental apartment building has opened in Mission.

New Rental Homes Open For People In Mission

'Road Zipper' To Bring Rush-hour Relief For Alex Fraser Bridge Commuters

A new lane on the the Alex Fraser Bridge — and the strange vehicle that will switch the lane's direction twice a day — will shave about 20 minutes off the daily commute for motorists travelling over the bridge during rush hour, officials say.  

'Road Zipper' To Bring Rush-hour Relief For Alex Fraser Bridge Commuters

SEE PICS: Surrey Groups Receive Funding For Training Support For People 55-Plus

People aged 55 and older in Surrey are getting opportunities to build skills for new careers with training programs that break down barriers to employment for older workers.

SEE PICS: Surrey Groups Receive Funding For Training Support For People 55-Plus

Help New Westminster Police Locate Missing Youth, Jayden Williams

The New Westminster Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating 15 year old New Westminster resident Jayden Williams.  

Help New Westminster Police Locate Missing Youth, Jayden Williams

Guaranteed Group 5 Pension Benefits For Surrey Police Recruits

The Municipal Pension Plan (MPP) Board of Trustees has approved the City of Surrey’s application for Group 5 membership for its police officers. 

Guaranteed Group 5 Pension Benefits For Surrey Police Recruits

Plane Had Equipment Trouble Before Crash, Killing Three, Transport Canada Says

Transport Canada says early information indicates there was an equipment issue before a plane crash that claimed three lives on Gabriola Island, B.C., on Tuesday.    

Plane Had Equipment Trouble Before Crash, Killing Three, Transport Canada Says