A fire that occurred overnight outside the Toronto home of a Liberal member of Canada’s Parliament is under investigation for possible arson, authorities confirmed.
Stephanie Miceli of the Toronto Police Service stated that emergency responders were dispatched at 1:21 a.m. to reports of multiple vehicles ablaze in a residential area near Bellamy Road North and Lawrence Avenue East.
Salma Zahid, the parliamentarian representing Scarborough Centre-Don Valley East in Ontario, announced on social media that an individual deliberately set her car and another vehicle on fire. She recounted that her son first spotted the flames, prompting a 911 call, with neighbors also alerting emergency services.
Zahid confirmed the incident occurred at her private residence. The capital, which was unharmed, reported no injuries to her family. Both vehicles involved were completely destroyed.
While declining to speculate on motives, Zahid strongly condemned the attack, affirming it would not hinder her dedication to public service.
Toronto Fire Services managed to extinguish the blaze, noting damage to three vehicles in total. The case is being treated as a suspected arson, and an investigation is ongoing.
Prime Minister Mark Carney described the event as “unacceptable” in a public statement, labeling it a “cowardly act of violence and intimidation” unrepresentative of Canadian values, and pledged full support for the police probe.
Zahid, who has served in Parliament since 2015 and chairs the Standing Committee on Science and Research, is known for advocacy on minority and women’s rights, including past criticism of Rohingya oppression in Myanmar and leadership in the Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Group.
