Ukrainian Canadian Congress calls on police to investigate Victoria arson attack as hate crime
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress says an arson attack on the home of a Ukrainian family in Victoria should be investigated as a hate crime.
The national advocacy group says Wednesday's fire at the home of a Ukrainian Catholic priest and his family may have been motivated by Father Yuriy Vyshnevskyy's support for Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing war in the country.
Vyshnevskyy, his wife and three daughters narrowly escaped their Caledonia Avenue home in the early hours of Wednesday morning after the pastor says someone poured gasoline through the mail slot into the front room and set it on fire.
The pastor's eldest daughter, 11, sustained injuries from broken glass after she and her sisters fled the fire by leaping from an upstairs window into their father's arms.
"It was hell," Vyshnevskyy told CTV News. "It was hell because I knew that it was the only window out. It was the only way out."
All five family members were treated for smoke inhalation. Their cat was found unresponsive but later resuscitated by firefighters.
Their home is on the property of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, where Vyshnevskyy is the pastor.
"We call on law enforcement to fully, promptly and thoroughly investigate this heinous crime against five innocent people," the Ukrainian congress, which represents the interests of approximately 1.4 million Ukrainian-Canadians, said in a statement.
"Given that Father Vyshnevskyy is a dedicated community leader who through his work is strongly supporting the Ukrainian people and their defence of their homeland from Russia’s genocidal war, we call on local authorities to investigate this attack as a hate crime," the congress added.
'WHO COULD HAVE DONE THIS?'
Victoria police said Wednesday they are investigating whether the arson attack was hate motivated, but said it's too early in the investigation to determine a motive.
"There has been some questions surrounding this, given the structure's proximity to a Ukrainian Catholic church," Victoria police spokesperson Const. Cam MacIntyre said.
"Sometimes there is simply an arsonist that is in the community," he added. "Other times these incidents are targeted. It's too early in the investigation for us to say."
Vyshnevskyy said Thursday he still doesn't know who could have set fire to his home with his family inside, or why.
"I thought about this many times," the pastor said. "Who could have done this and what reasons? Still I don’t have the answer. I don’t know."
Investigators are asking anyone who has surveillance video from the area on the night of the attack to contact police immediately.
"Our goal in this is to locate a suspect, or suspects, and arrest them," MacIntyre said. "We have some information but we need more."
An online fundraiser for the family had raised more than $15,000 by Thursday morning.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.