Arson blamed for Scarborough playground fire

Police are investigating after vandals allegedly set fire to a school playground in Scarborough, which took years of fundraising to build.

Parent Mary McIntyre-Rafter was coming out of a nearby drug store around 6 p.m. Tuesday when she saw smoke billowing from the yard of St. Agatha Catholic School and called 911.

“I cannot believe this is our school. It’s upsetting,” she told CityNews.

“There was a lot of fundraising. There was a lot of work that went into this … There was nothing here for the kids to do and this brought life to the schoolyard again and the kids love it. It’s just — it’s heartbreaking. I can’t believe it.”

Another parent, Liza Tilander, said the park is a community hub and would affect children and adults alike.

“I thought, ‘Oh it’s not our school ground … It can’t be,’” she said.

“I think it’s some people having their own version of fun, and I don’t think they realize how it touches so many people … Now our students have nowhere to play.”

Nancy Crawford, a trustee with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, said the school is working with its insurance company to have the playground repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

The fire caused between $10,000 and $15,000 in damage.

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