A police investigation is underway and a community is devastated after a beloved Portuguese social club in Toronto’s west end was significantly damaged in a “suspicious” fire this week.
The incident, which was caught on surveillance video, happened around 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday at Casa Da Madeira Community Centre at 1621 Dupont St., just east of Dundas Street West.
In the footage, obtained by CP24, a male suspect is seen carrying two bags, one of which appears to contain a 10-litre red jerry can, as he breaks the glass of the building’s front door.
He then appears to enter the community centre’s lobby area and proceeds through the doors into a large hall.
Moments later, an explosion is observed as the same individual runs back into that front area with the bottom of his pants on fire. A much larger explosion then follows as the suspect, whose clothing is still ablaze, flees through the front door.
Joe DaSilva, vice-president of Casa Da Madeira’s general assembly, said they were notified the fire/burglar alarm had been activated at the community centre, which is also known as the Canadian Madeira Club or CASA, at about 1:30 a.m. that day.
He said emergency crews were dispatched to the scene within minutes and put out the fire without incident.
“This could have been way, way, way worse,” DaSilva said, adding that there are several neighbouring buildings, some with residential units.
He’s guessing, however, the damages will be somewhere in the $1 million range and that it’ll take upwards of a year to repair the structure.
“Everything got damaged by the smoke and the soot. ... We’ll have to demolish all of the partitions of the building because everything got smoke and water damage,” DaSilva said.
Toronto police said they attended that address at around 2 a.m. on Oct. 22 for reports of a fire.
In an email to CP24, Const. Laurie McCann said investigators believe this incident is “suspicious,” adding that no injuries have been reported.
Police do not have any suspect information to share at this point, as the investigation is “in it’s infancy,” she noted.
Toronto Fire Services told CP24 that crews arrived and encountered a fire on the main floor as well as heavy smoke that had mitigated up to the second and third floors.
Investigators are now working to determine the cause and origins of this blaze, added Toronto fire.
Paramedics, meanwhile, told CP24 they do not have anything on record about this occurrence.
‘Target of a criminal act’
In a statement posted on social media on Oct. 22, Casa Da Madeira said they believe they were the “target of a criminal act.”
“An individual broke into the premises with the apparent intention of setting the building on fire, using a can of accelerant. The act resulted in a violent explosion, causing extensive damage to the building and severely injuring the perpetrator, who was engulfed in flames at the scene,” the centre’s management wrote.
DaSilva said what occurred is “malicious,” calling the incident, which primarily impacted CASA’s recently renovated main hall, a “terrorist attack against the Portuguese community.”
“The management of Casa Da Madeira expresses deep sorrow and outrage over this act of vandalism, which endangered lives and struck a cornerstone institution of the Portuguese community in Toronto,” the centre’s said, thanking emergency services for their swift response that “prevented even more tragic consequences.”
Casa Da Madeira went on to say that, during the incident, the suspect reportedly left behind a number of personal items, which may be “crucial for identification and future accountability.”
CASA ‘does good for the community’
DaSilva went on to say that Canadian Madeira Club/CASA is a place that “does good for the community,” where people come together for cultural and social events and fundraisers, adding they can’t understand why someone would set the place on fire.
A number of Portuguese organizations have since come forward to show their support for Casa Da Madeira, which was founded in June 1963 by former residents of Portugal’s Madeira archipelago and is one of the longest-standing Portuguese institutions in the city.
Several individuals and people from the community have also posted kind words and messages denouncing the incident on social media.
“(We) thank everyone for the many messages of solidarity received and reaffirm (our) commitment to rebuilding with the strength and unity of the community,” Casa Da Madeira said.
DaSilva added that several local politicians have also reached out to offer their support.
For now, he said they’ll be dealing with insurance and clearing out any items that are salvageable.
“It’s really a nightmare,” said DaSilva.
Anyone with further information about this incident is asked to contact Toronto police at 416-808-2222 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
