Latest news with #YuriyVyshnevskyy
The Province
13-06-2025
- The Province
Ex-priest pleads guilty to arson in fire of Victoria home near his former church
A priest and his young family had to be rescued from the second floor of their home in Victoria after someone set fire to the house in 2022. Father Yuriy Vyshnevskyy and his family narrowly escaped their home in the early hours of April 20, 2022. Photo by DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST A man was sentenced to 3½ years on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to setting a fire in the home of a Ukrainian Catholic priest that injured the priest's daughter in Victoria three years ago. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Walter 'Theo' Machinski, 63, of Nanaimo, was sentenced in B.C. Supreme Court in Victoria on Wednesday to federal prison for one count of arson with disregard for human life, according to the Victoria court's criminal registry. The conditions of his sentence included a 10-year firearms ban and providing a DNA sample. Yuriy Vyshnevskyy, his wife, and their three school-age daughters narrowly escaped the fire in their home next door to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Ukrainian Catholic Church near the Cook Street village in the early hours of April 20, 2022. Victoria police's major crime detectives arrested and charged Machinski, the former priest int he parish, a year later. He had been released on bail since then after spending some time in custody after his arrest, and he pleaded guilty to the charge in October. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The arson occurred as the war in Ukraine with Russia was raging, prompting the Ukrainian Canadian Congress to urge police to investigate the arson as a hate crime. But police said at the time of the arrest that investigators determined the arson was a targeted offence but not driven by hatred. 'The accused was known to the family, but it was not motivated by hatred toward an identifiable group,' Victoria police said the time. Vyshnevskyy's wife heard someone pour gasoline through the mail slot into the home and set it on fire. She was pulled off a window ledge from the bedrooms on the second floor and their three daughters had to jump out a second-storey window to escape the blaze. The oldest girl, then 11, required surgery for nerve damage in her arm, deeply cut by broken window glass. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Church president Alec Rossa said after the arrest that Machinski was priest at the church from November 2011 to September 2015, and was replaced by Vyshnevskyy in January 2016. Machinski was transferred to Nanaimo's St. Michael the Archangel parish, but has since left the church, he said. In a Victoria Times Colonist interview after the arson, Vyshnevskyy said he had not received any threats and was unsure if the motivation was personal or related to the war in Ukraine. After the arrest, he issued a statement thanking Victoria police and prosecutors for their work in investigating the arson attack that destroyed the family's home and 'nearly our lives.' 'We deeply appreciate all the continuing efforts of the police in protecting our family from potential threats and dangers following the arson attack,' he said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Vyshnevskyy said the family was grateful to church members and other Islanders 'who have been so caring and concerned and helped us survive the effects of the attack and helped us get back on our feet again when we had nothing and were seriously hurt.' 'Yes, it has been a difficult year. We thank God for our healing, physical, emotional and spiritual. And of course we pray for the person who committed this horrible act that they too … find the healing and rehabilitation they are so in need of.' — With files from Victoria Times Colonist Sports Vancouver Canucks Soccer News News
CTV News
12-06-2025
- CTV News
Arsonist sentenced for fire at Ukrainian pastor's home in Victoria
Emergency crews respond to an arson at a church pastor's home in Victoria, B.C., on April 20, 2022. Three years after an arson attack at a Ukrainian pastor's home in Victoria, B.C., the man responsible has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years behind bars. Walter 'Theo' Machinski was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of arson with disregard for human life, the Victoria Police Department announced Wednesday. Pastor Yuriy Vyshnevskyy, his wife and their three daughters were asleep in the home – which is attached to the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker – when the attack began in the early morning hours of April 20, 2022. Vyshnevskyy previously told CTV News he awoke around 1 a.m. to his wife screaming from the ground floor, where gasoline was being poured into a mail slot. Some family members were forced to jump from second-storey windows to escape the flames, while others were rescued by firefighters, authorities said. 'We are incredibly fortunate that this dangerous act did not result in more serious injuries or loss of life,' said Acting Deputy Chief Michael Brown, in a statement. 'The bravery of the family and the swift response of our officers and Victoria firefighters prevented a tragedy.' At the time of Machinski's arrest, police said they believed the incident was targeted, but not motivated by 'hatred towards an identifiable group.' Records obtained by CTV News show Machinski served as the St. Nicholas pastor prior to Vyshnevskyy taking over the role. Police said the property sustained serious damage in the fire, and remains uninhabitable. With files from CTV News Vancouver's Todd Coyne
Global News
12-06-2025
- Global News
Nanaimo man handed 3.5 years in prison for arson at Ukrainian priest's Victoria home
A Nanaimo, B.C., man has been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for setting fire to the family home of a Victoria Ukrainian priest three years ago. Walter 'Theo' Machinski pleaded guilty to one count of arson with disregard for human life for setting the fire at the St. Nicholas Ukrainian Church early on the morning of April 20, 2022. Victoria police say the family of five who lived there 'narrowly escaped the blaze, with some forced to jump from second-storey windows while others were rescued by firefighters.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The home remains uninhabitable from water and fire damage. At the time, Father Yuriy Vyshnevskyy, a priest at the church, told Global News he believed someone had poured gasoline through the mail slot to start the fire. The fire happened amid heightened tensions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, however, Victoria police now say they don't believe the blaze was linked to anyone's ethnic heritage. Story continues below advertisement 'Investigators determined that this was a targeted offence, in which the accused was known to the family, but it was not motivated by hatred towards an identifiable group,' police said in a media release on Wednesday.
