Iconic red canoe overlooking the Gardiner destroyed in suspected arson

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Toronto Police are investigating a suspected arson after the iconic red canoe at Canoe Landing Park in downtown Toronto was destroyed in a fire early Wednesday morning.

A police spokesperson says cops and fire were called to the scene near Fort York Boulevard and Dan Leckie Way around 2:42 a.m. on Wednesday for a reports of a fire.

“The red canoe was destroyed in the fire, and at this time it is being investigated as a suspected arson,” said Toronto Police media relations officer Ashley Visser.

“There is no suspect info at this time, but we are still appealing for witnesses.”

The red canoe, officially Tom Thomson’s canoe, which overlooks the Gardiner Expressway, was built by Vancouver artist-author Douglas Coupland.

The official name is a tribute to another Canadian artist, Tom Thomson, who died while canoeing, and the canoe has been a part of the park since it opened in 2009.

Toronto Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik posted on her X account: “I’m disheartened and upset by this news. The Red Canoe is beloved public art and iconic spot that I adore in one of our busiest downtown parks.”

Malik also told a Wednesday press conference she will be speaking with city officials and the community “about the steps that need to be taken in order to explore replacement of that iconic public art piece.”