Suspicious fire destroys Aylmer mall

Last updated Jul 6 2005 02:05 PM EDT CBC News
CBC NEWS – Gatineau police are treating as suspicious the blaze in Aylmer that destroyed the Glenwood Plaza early Wednesday and forced hundreds from their homes in the middle of the night.

Fire crews were still battling the blaze at dawn.Early estimates put the cost of damage at around $6 million. And while no one was injured, between 200 and 300 people are now out of work.
The popular mall, the oldest in Aylmer, contained its only liquor store and post office. It also had a grocery store, a Giant Tiger, a bakery, a Vidéotron and a café, as well as professional businesses on the second floor.

Sgt. Jean-Paul Le May says Gatineau police are treating the fire as suspicious because of the time it started and the speed with which it spread. More importantly, Gatineau Fire says there was a smaller fire just 24 hours earlier that had been deliberately set in a trash can behind the mall's Giant Tiger. A photo of the prime suspect has been released, and can be found here.