The iconic red canoe in Fort York, which is viewed by thousands of motorists travelling along the Gardiner Expressway daily, has been destroyed by a fire.
Canoe Landing Park is located at 95 Fort York Boulevard and officially opened in 2009. The park’s most recognizable feature is perhaps its striking red canoe, which has come to serve as a symbolic entrance marker to the heart of downtown Toronto.
The canoe, which was created by Canadian artist and author Douglas Coupland, was constructed as part of a comprehensive program of artwork for the park. The canoe is perched over the edge of a landscaped berm that was built using excavated materials from the construction of Concord CityPlace.
Someone burned down the canoe at Canoe Landing Park!
byu/adoptedCanadIAN intoronto
On Wednesday morning, a Reddit user posted a photo of the burned canoe, to the dismay of local residents and frequent park users. “What a giant disappointment,” one person wrote, while another added that, “This is why we can’t have nice things.”
Toronto Police confirmed to blogTO that they attended a call for a fire at Canoe Landing Park at 2:42 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
“The fire has been put out. The circumstances of the fire are currently being investigated. 14 Division officers remain on scene awaiting the OFM investigator,” police said. Luckily, no injuries were reported.
