23 Comments March 17, 2012 at 2:42 pm

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Scene: Fire at the High Park Playground

Local kids and their parents visit the burnt shell of the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground, hours after an apparent case of arson.

By Hamutal Dotan • Photos by Christopher Drost

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142796 Police investigate at Jamie Bell Playground in High Park after part of the playground was set ablaze around 3:00 a.m. Saturday. Christopher Drost/Torontoist Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-002-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-002.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-002.jpg 1024 683 {"aperture":"5","credit":"Christopher Drost","camera":"Canon EOS 5D Mark II","caption":"Police investigate at Jamie Bell Playground in High Park after part of the playground was set ablaze around 3:30 am.","created_timestamp":"1331979351","copyright":"\u00a9 2012 drostPHOTO | SHiFT","focal_length":"70","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.00625","title":"Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground"} https://torontoist.com/2012/03/scene-fire-at-the-high-park-playground/slide/arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground/ arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground 0 0

142797 Christopher Drost/Torontoist Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-005-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-005.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-005.jpg 1024 683 {"aperture":"8","credit":"Christopher Drost","camera":"Canon EOS 5D Mark II","caption":"Police investigate at Jamie Bell Playground in High Park after part of the playground was set ablaze around 3:30 am.","created_timestamp":"1331979922","copyright":"\u00a9 2012 drostPHOTO | SHiFT","focal_length":"110","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.008","title":"Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground"} https://torontoist.com/2012/03/scene-fire-at-the-high-park-playground/slide/arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground-2/ arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground-2 0 0

142798 Christopher Drost/Torontoist Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-007-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-007.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-007.jpg 1024 683 {"aperture":"2.8","credit":"Christopher Drost","camera":"Canon EOS 5D Mark II","caption":"Police investigate at Jamie Bell Playground in High Park after part of the playground was set ablaze around 3:30 am.","created_timestamp":"1331980307","copyright":"\u00a9 2012 drostPHOTO | SHiFT","focal_length":"200","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.0008","title":"Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground"} https://torontoist.com/2012/03/scene-fire-at-the-high-park-playground/slide/arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground-3/ arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground-3 0 0

142799 Christopher Drost/Torontoist Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-011-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-011.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-011.jpg 1024 683 {"aperture":"2.8","credit":"Christopher Drost 416.433.9979","camera":"Canon EOS-1D Mark IV","caption":"Police investigate at Jamie Bell Playground in High Park after part of the playground was set ablaze around 3:30 am.","created_timestamp":"1331978932","copyright":"SHiFT Digital. [email protected]","focal_length":"19","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.000625","title":"Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground"} https://torontoist.com/2012/03/scene-fire-at-the-high-park-playground/slide/arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground-4/ arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground-4 0 0

142800 Christopher Drost/Torontoist Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-013-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-013.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-013.jpg 1024 683 {"aperture":"2.8","credit":"Christopher Drost 416.433.9979","camera":"Canon EOS-1D Mark IV","caption":"Police investigate at Jamie Bell Playground in High Park after part of the playground was set ablaze around 3:30 am.","created_timestamp":"1331978961","copyright":"SHiFT Digital. [email protected]","focal_length":"19","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.000625","title":"Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground"} https://torontoist.com/2012/03/scene-fire-at-the-high-park-playground/slide/arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground-5/ arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground-5 0 0

142801 Christopher Drost/Torontoist Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-017-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-017.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-017.jpg 1024 683 {"aperture":"7.1","credit":"Christopher Drost 416.433.9979","camera":"Canon EOS-1D Mark IV","caption":"Police investigate at Jamie Bell Playground in High Park after part of the playground was set ablaze around 3:30 am.","created_timestamp":"1331979671","copyright":"SHiFT Digital. [email protected]","focal_length":"35","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.008","title":"Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground"} https://torontoist.com/2012/03/scene-fire-at-the-high-park-playground/slide/arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground-6/ arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground-6 0 0

142802 Christopher Drost/Torontoist Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-023-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-023.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/031712_HighParkPlayground-DROSTphoto-023.jpg 1024 683 {"aperture":"14","credit":"Christopher Drost 416.433.9979","camera":"Canon EOS-1D Mark IV","caption":"Police investigate at Jamie Bell Playground in High Park after part of the playground was set ablaze around 3:30 am.","created_timestamp":"1331980146","copyright":"SHiFT Digital. [email protected]","focal_length":"25","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.02","title":"Arsonists torch popular Toronto playground"} https://torontoist.com/2012/03/scene-fire-at-the-high-park-playground/slide/arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground-7/ arsonists-torch-popular-toronto-playground-7 0 0

WHERE: Jamie Bell Adventure Playground, High Park

WHEN: Saturday, 11 a.m.

WHAT: In 1998, children, their parents, and local volunteers worked together to design and build a playground in High Park. It had turrets and ropes and slides and panels painted by the kids themselves, and in 2003 it was named after community leader Jamie Bell, who came up with the idea in the first place. At about 3 a.m. this morning the largely wooden playground caught fire; circumstances are suspicious and authorities are investigating whether arson was the cause.

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