If it weren't for a late-night dog walk, the Brackendale Farmers' Institute (BFI) could have lost all its Fall Fair equipment to a suspected arson on Friday night (April 18).Dorte Froslev decided to take one of her dogs for a longer-than-usual stroll close to midnight behind the Brackendale Art Gallery because it was acting ill. When she saw a light coming from the park she knew something was wrong."I just hightailed it back here and dialed 911," she said the next day. "I suppose it's a good thing I did that because if I hadn't probably everything in there would have been burnt to a crisp."The fire destroyed the BFI's lawnmower, which Thor Froslev valued at about $400. The institute's $1,500 trailer was also damaged with green paint and much of the rest, including about $4,000 worth of tents, was covered with soot. Cpl. Dave Ritchie said it is suspected the paint was used as an accelerant, but police and fire officials are still investigating. "Arsons are of a concern and they're usually either one or a small group of persons that are targeting things to burn and then we usually see an escalation as they go on."Thor Froslev said the storage unit was securely locked and it's not the first time the unit has been broken into. Last fall, the lock was broken and left on the ground but nothing was taken."Somebody doesn't like us," he said. "I don't see this being just some teenagers. [Someone] doesn't want us over there - that's just my take on it. This is not a teenage job - it was too well-locked."Froslev pointed out that the BFI has been lobbying for park status since 1992. The BFI continues to be the park's custodians and it has been home to the Brackendale Fall Fair for the last eight years. But the land designation is currently unclear and there have been recent threats of possible development. He suspects the fire wasn't just a senseless act of vandalism but may have something to do with a greater issue."Council should make it a park," he said. "Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead."
