Police investigating arson at Calgary residential school memorial
Calgary police are investigating an arson that took place at the City Hall residential school memorial Tuesday night.
Just before 11:30 p.m., City Hall security officers noticed a man on CCTV who appeared to attempt to light the memorial on fire before fleeing.
Security officers were able to quickly extinguish the fire, but several pairs of shoes and other objects were heavily damaged.
The memorial was started in June as a tribute to the lives lost at Canada's residential school system, following the discovery of 215 unmarked graves outside the location of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., and 751 unmarked graves outside a former residential school in Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan.
Investigators released CCTV stills of the suspect Wednesday. He's described as having short hair, wearing a black baseball hat, black backpack, blue jeans, white-soled shoes and a plaid shirt.
CCTV capture of the suspect who allegedly set the residential school memorial on fire Aug. 3.
Investigators are being assisted by the hate crimes and extremism unit in an effort to determine the motivation behind the fire.
Police investigators say they are aware of tensions in the community around discoveries made at residential schools, and recent arsons and vandalism incidents at various churches.
A tribute to the lives lost to the residential school system has been erected on the steps outside Calgary city hall.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the police on the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234. Anonymous tipsters can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, online or by using the P3 Tips app available at Apple or the Google Play Store.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Party's over: Coyotes play final game as Arizona franchise before move to Salt Lake City
Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah.