One week after a devastating fire destroyed a historic hangar in Edmonton, police have released photos of a person of interest. The fire, which broke out on April 22nd, gutted Hangar 11, a 7,400-square-meter wood-framed structure that was one of only two remaining in Canada from the Second World War era. The hangar, located at the former City Centre Airport, was a municipal historic resource and had been under redevelopment as part of the Blatchford neighborhood. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, it has been deemed suspicious. Police are now seeking to identify the man pictured in surveillance video, who is seen inside a convenience store and on a bicycle near the hangar. Anyone with information on the person of interest is asked to contact the Edmonton Police Service.
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A devastating fire has engulfed and destroyed Edmonton’s historic Hangar 11, a remnant of the city’s Second World War-era aviation heritage. The hangar, a crucial supply hub during the war, was set to become the centerpiece of a multimillion-dollar mixed-use residential development project, but its future now hangs in the balance. Tim Antoniuk, the founder of the Hangar 11 project, expressed heartbreak over the loss of the building and uncertainty about the site’s future. The hangar’s significance extends beyond its architectural value; it represents Edmonton’s wartime contributions and is considered one of the last remaining buildings of its kind in western Canada. While the city was prepared to invest $5 million in its rehabilitation, extensive and costly restoration work was needed. The fire has ignited discussions about the preservation of heritage buildings and the challenges of balancing development with historical conservation.