Portables at Milton school set on fire, tagged with 'hateful graffiti': police

A Halton Regional Police cruiser is seen in this undated image. (Twitter/Halton Regional Police)

Police in Halton Region are investigating after two portables at an elementary school in Milton were allegedly intentionally set on fire and tagged with “hateful graffiti.”

The incident happened at Bruce Trail Public School, which is north of Derry Road and east of Thompson Road South.

Halton Regional Police Services (HRPS) said that Milton Fire Services were called to the area at about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday after receiving reports of a large amount of smoke coming from a portable at the school.

Emergency responders at the scene found a smaller fire in a second portable on the property, HRPS said in a March 4 news release.

Both fires were quickly doused and no injuries were reported.

“The cause of the fires was identified to be a number of books and papers that were deliberately ignited in each of the portables,” police said in a March 4 news release.

Investigators said they also found hateful graffiti directed at the LGBTQ2S+ community as well as pro-Palestinian messages on the walls of the portables.

The damage is “significant,” police said, adding that the Halton District School Board has advised that one of the portables will need to be replaced.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact the 1 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4777, ext. 2416, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.