One week after a piece of Edmonton aviation history burned to the ground, police have released photos of a person of interest in the suspicious blaze investigation.
The 7,400-square-metre wood-framed Hangar 11 used to be a part of Edmonton’s City Centre Airport, but was destroyed in a dramatic fire on Monday, April 22. The fire broke out just before 7 p.m., and it wasn’t long before it could be seen from several kilometres away, as thick, black smoke poured into the air and ash rained down to the ground near 109th Street and 117th Avenue.
The hangar, which was one of only two remaining in Canada from the Second World War-era, was gutted in the fire.
“The loss of this historical landmark is not only devastating for the aviation community, but the community in general,” said Det. Nigel Phillips with the EPS southwest investigative response team.
“A significant piece of history was lost, and we would like to determine what happened.”
The fire was quickly determined to be suspicious and police are now looking to identify a man who is considered a “person of interest.” Surveillance video photos released Tuesday show the man, wearing a black coat and red and black ball cap with a face mask pulled down around his chin, inside a convenience store and on a bicycle.
“We would like to speak with this individual,” Phillips said. “We believe this man may have pertinent information that could assist with our investigation.”
Hangar 11 was a municipal historic resource that was constructed in 1942 by the U.S. Air Force to support the Second World War efforts. Hangar 11 was believed to be the last remaining building of its kind in Western Canada. The airport itself closed in 2013 after operating for more than 80 years and in the decade since, the land has been under redevelopment into the Blatchford neighbourhood.
Anyone who knows the identity of the person of interest is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.
