‘Suspicious’ fire investigated at plaza where Mississauga Liberal MP has office

Police and firefighters in Mississauga are investigating a “suspicious” fire in the plaza where Mississauga East—Cooksville member of Parliament Peter Fonseca has his local constituency office.

Peel Regional Police and Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services vehicles were parked off and on throughout the day on Tuesday (Feb. 22) in the commercial plaza that is located at the corner of Burnhamthorpe Road East and Tomken Road in Mississauga. Firefighters were also seen checking the roof of the building, according to an eyewitness account.

The Peel police confirmed that firefighters did have to extinguish a fire in the early-morning hours, and that the 12 Division criminal investigation bureau is investigating it as suspicious. No injuries were reported.

The fire was reported just hours after Fonseca, a third-term Liberal MP, voted with his party to approve extraordinary, time-limited measures in the Emergencies Act. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the law on Feb. 14 in a bid to end the anti-public health and anti-government blockades in Ottawa and at several border crossings.

The Peel police did not say whether the investigation is linked to a specific office or business in the plaza.

“Police were contacted at 4:19 a.m. for a report of a fire in a commercial plaza in the area of Burnhamthorpe Road and Tomken Road in Mississauga,” the Peel police said in a statement issued to inSauga. “Police attended with the fire department, where the fire was extinguished. There were no injuries suffered to anyone. The fire has been deemed suspicious, and investigators from the 12 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau have taken carriage of this incident. We are currently investigating in conjunction with the Fire Marshall’s office. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the police.”

The 12 Division criminal investigation bureau may be reached at 905-453-3311 ext. 1233.

Information that might support any Peel police investigation may also be provided anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or by visiting peelcrimestoppers.ca.

The motion to confirm the declaration of emergency powers passed 185-151 on Monday evening. Trudeau’s minority Liberal government received support from the New Democrats and leader Jagmeet Singh, who is a former MPP for Brampton East. The Conservative Party of Canada and Bloc Québécois voted against it, while the two Green party MPs were split.

The parties voting in favour of the motion, including half of the Green party’s tally, received 51.61 per cent of the votes cast during the September 2021 federal election. The parties voting against it received 42.55 per cent (again, with half the Green vote included). The rest of the votes went to parties that failed to win a seat and independent candidates.

All six federal seats in Mississauga are held by the Liberals. Fonseca was first elected to Parliament in 2015.

— with files from The Canadian Press