A 35-year-old man has been arrested after police say he was responsible for multiple arsons in Winnipeg, including fires at the constituency offices of two Manitoba cabinet ministers and several restaurants.
Jesse Robert Shawn Wheatland is facing a total of 22 charges related to arson, break-ins and damage at 11 different locations between June 11 and Tuesday, when he was arrested, police said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference.
That includes fires at the constituency offices of Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine and Homelessness and Addictions Minister Bernadette Smith.
He’s also been charged with offences at the Winnipeg School Division administration building on Wall Street and a provincial treatment centre on Magnus Avenue.
Wheatland has also been charged in connection with offences at the Exchange Event centre and six other businesses in the Exchange District and downtown areas: Commonwealth Kitchen & Bar, Johnny G’s, the Palomino Club, Boujee Restaurant, La Roca and Tipsy Cow.
Police said in some cases, the locations were damaged by arson. In others, Wheatland is accused of breaking and entering or causing damage to the property.
He was arrested Tuesday evening in the 100 block of Magnus Avenue, where the treatment centre is located. Police allege he set a fire there shortly before he was arrested, though he was not arrested at the scene itself.
Insp. Jennifer McKinnon said at Wednesday’s news conference the extensive investigation took a toll on police officers and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service investigators.
Winnipeg police hold a news conference on the arrest of a man charged with a number of arsons in the city.
“The longer it goes, the more weighs on them. So coming to a conclusion, I think, is exciting, but also a relief,” she said.
“It’s also not lost to us that we feel this is going to give the community a sense of relief from probably what they’ve been feeling and experiencing through the summer.”
Wheatland has been charged with 13 counts of arson causing damage to property and one count of arson with disregard for human life.
He’s also facing two counts of breaking and entering to commit arson, and two counts of breaking and entering with intent, along with four counts of mischief under $5,000.
Police said they believe Wheatland acted alone. The case is not believed to be related to previously reported extortion incidents, according to police.
CBC News previously reported on fires at seven of the locations police listed, starting with a fire at Commonwealth Kitchen & Bar in July and up to a fire at La Roca last week.
Police said some of the arson locations were hit multiple times.
Nikola Maharajh is the co-owner and manager of Commonwealth Kitchen & Bar, where for the past five months the doors have been closed as they slowly rebuild — a costly and lengthy process.
“We can’t really do much … it’s just a waiting game with insurance,” he said on Wednesday.
Maharajh was shocked, but ultimately relieved, when he received a phone call from police telling him they had made an arrest.
“One of our fears obviously is reopening and then the same thing happens again, so knowing that the person who is linked to a bunch of them is off the streets definitely helps.”
Jay Kilgour is the owner of Fionn MacCool’s on Grant Avenue and is the vice-chair of Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association.
“This is a big sigh of relief for the industry … when I’m locking up my restaurant tonight, there’s less of a worry,” he said, adding it’s a feeling shared by the the association’s more than 350 members.
Kilgour expressed gratitude for the work the Winnipeg Police Service and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service put into the investigation.
“Whether it was 100 people or one person, it doesn’t matter. I’m just thankful that this one person is put away right now and hopefully we don’t have to worry about this for a long time.”
Ministers ‘scared and frightened’: Fontaine
Between August and mid-September, firefighters responded to four fires at Minister Smith’s North End office, the fire department previously reported.
Smith and Fontaine — whose West Kildonan office had its windows smashed and was set on fire in two separate incidents — told reporters at the legislature Wednesday the announcement of the arrest gave them a sense of relief.
“The last months have been very uncertain,” Fontaine said. “In some respects, it has left us feeling a little bit scared and frightened sometimes.”
Fontaine said her office is completely gutted, and it could take six to nine months to renovate it. She and her team are considering whether it’s safer to go back there or move to a different location, she said.
Smith said her staff have had to work from home for months.
“Their safety is at risk as well,” she said. “Their mental health. Certainly, we felt … a heightened sense of concern.”
While police said they couldn’t speak to motive in the arsons and break-ins, citing their ongoing investigation, Fontaine said “it certainly does feel” like the incidents at the constituency offices were politically motivated.
“Things have shifted” since the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.
“When you’re out in the community, doing the work that you’re elected to do, you’re maybe a little bit more trying to make sure … you’re safe in your surroundings.
“I think it’s put all of us on a little bit more of a high alert.”
Winnipeg police say they’ve cracked a series of arsons dating back to June 2025. Jesse Robert Shawn Wheatland has been charged with 22 offences in connection with a string of fires that included attacks on restaurants and the constituency offices of 2 NDP MLAs.
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