Latest news with #Sherbrooke
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
'Careless and reckless act': Police deem Edmonton playground fire as arson
Just four days after an elementary school playground in north Edmonton was destroyed by a fire, police have determined the blaze was a result of arson. Just after 8 a.m. on Saturday, a fire broke out at St. Pius X Elementary School's playground in the community of Sherbrooke. While police have yet to make any arrests in relation to the suspected arson, investigators said in a media conference call on Wednesday afternoon that the investigation is moving forward. 'The investigation has progressed nicely,' said EPS acting inspector Eric Stewart. 'We have been able to gather really good evidence and CCTV footage of this event. The investigation is progressing in the way we'd like. We've not identified suspects yet, but I'm confident that will come in the very near future.' Stewart said they don't know as of yet the ages of the suspects, and total damage to the playground hasn't been determined yet either, but investigators are thankful that the fire didn't spread to the elementary school. Fire crews arrived on scene at 8:06 a.m. and were able to extinguish the fire in 17 minutes. There were no reports of injuries and no evacuations were needed. 'We can't say what caused it, whether there was an accelerator used or not or whether it's the material or other factors involved that made it catch so quickly. It went up pretty fast,' said Stewart. 'Not in my 22 years of policing have I ever seen any case like this. It's not a common occurrence we see here in Edmonton.' Sherbrooke Community League members spent nearly a decade raising funds to build the playground, and now they're left devastated. But the community is trying to rally to raise funds to rebuild the playground. Police are working with fire crews to determine how the blaze caught so quickly. Investigators are also trying to determine whether this was a 'targeted' or 'random' event. Stewart said they can confirm there is more than one suspect, and that multiple people were in the area of the playground prior to, during and after the fire was set. 'To the individuals who were at the scene at the time of this event. You either witnessed it, or have knowledge of it, or were involved in this. We ask that you come forward and contact police as soon as you can,' said Stewart. 'This was a very careless and reckless act by the individuals involved in this event. 'We're very fortunate that this school didn't catch fire. It was very close proximity to this playground. It's a very unfortunate set of circumstances that now the kids that attend this school, and all the community members that put effort into building this playground, don't have a playground in the next school year.' jhills@ Related Police seek assistance in suspicious fire at Edmonton elementary school playground
CTV News
7 days ago
- CTV News
Fire that destroyed Edmonton playground was deliberately set: police
The playground at St. Pius X Catholic Elementary School was damaged in a fire on July 12, 2025. (CTV News Edmonton/Galen McDougall) A fire that destroyed a playground in the Sherbrooke neighbourhood was deliberately set, the Edmonton Police Service has confirmed. Emergency crews were called to the fire at the playground adjacent to St. Pius X Catholic Elementary School at 8 p.m. on Saturday. The playground was destroyed and the neighbourhood has launched a fundraiser to replace the equipment. EPS is asking anyone with information about the fire to contact them at 780-423-4567. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Yahoo
Police seek assistance in suspicious fire at Edmonton elementary school playground
A fire broke out at St. Pius X Elementary School's playground Saturday morning in Edmonton's Sherbrooke neighbourhood. After a 911 call came in at 8 a.m., one Edmonton Fire Rescue Service (EFRS) crew and district chief were called to the playground to put out the fire, said public information officer Ian Riddick. Firefighters arrived at the scene — 12214 128 St. — by 8:06 a.m. and took 17 minutes to put out the fire. Riddick confirmed there were no injuries and no evacuations were needed. Riddick said a fire investigation is underway to determine the cause. In a news release Saturday afternoon, Edmonton police asked the public for assistance in investigating the blaze, which has been labelled suspicious. Anyone with information is asked to contact police, who are also interested in seeing dash and security camera footage from 5 to 8 a.m. Saturday from anyone near 122 Avenue and 128 Street. A damage estimate has not yet been released. Teens charged with manslaughter, arson in death of 67-year-old Wetaskiwin man 'Our building is on fire': New Edmonton church forced to pivot after Monday fire Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
CTV News
08-07-2025
- CTV News
Quebec police conduct operation against drug trafficking in Sherbrooke
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) is conducting an operation to combat drug trafficking in Sherbrooke Tuesday morning. The SQ's Eastern Region Organized Crime Investigation and Coordination Division, in collaboration with Sherbrooke Police, is searching four locations on Brulotte, Langlois and King East streets, as well as 9e Avenue. More than 30 police officers are participating in the operation in addition to members of the tactical intervention group. This operation is part of an investigation that began in May following information received from the public. It is part of ongoing efforts to combat armed violence and organized crime, the SQ said in a statement. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 8, 2025.
CTV News
04-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Bixi bike-sharing platform expands to Sherbrooke, more launches planned later this year
Montreal's popular bike-sharing service BIXI launched in Sherbrooke, Que. on Friday. BIXI is the region's first bike-sharing platform, launching with 255 bikes, with the vast majority of them (80 per cent) being electric. Stations were launched at key locations, including transportation hubs, educational institutions like the Université de Sherbrooke, as well as parks and other commercial areas. 'This service enhances our sustainable transportation options and makes our downtown even more attractive by facilitating access to businesses, contributing to the local economy,' said Sherbrooke Mayor Évelyne Beaudin in a news release. BIXI Montr-al-BIXI launches bike-sharing service in Sherbrooke From left: Sylvia Morin, Chair of the Board of Directors at BIXI Montréal; Laure Letarte-Lavoie, City Councillor and Évelyne Beaudoin, Mayor of Sherbrooke. (Source: CNW Group/BIXI Montréal) 'With electric bikes, even our hilly terrain becomes more welcoming! And this is just the beginning, with our cycling network constantly improving to make Sherbrooke even more welcoming for cyclists, both local and from elsewhere.' The Quebec government provided $1.1 million in funding for the launch through the Financial Assistance Program for the Development of Self-Service Bike Sharing. BIXI expanding to more cities this year The Sherbrooke launch comes ahead of a BIXI expansion to more cities in Quebec later this year, including Saint-Eustache and Deux-Montagnes on Montreal's North Shore. The bike-sharing service will also launch in Saint-Lambert on the South Shore. The 2025 expansion will bring the total number of partner cities to 13, the number of bikes in service to 12,600, and the number of stations to more than 1,000. BIXI currently operates in Montreal, Westmount, Mount-Royal, Montreal East, Longueuil, Laval, Boucherville, Terrebonne, and Sainte-Julie. During the Montreal public transit strike last month, users set a new record after making more than 80,000 trips per day during seven of the nine strike days. On June 11, the bike-sharing company recorded more than 95,000 trips. Each of those seven days surpassed the busiest day in 2024, when more than 79,000 trips were a record at the time.
