GFL trucks wait as a Solid Waste Transfer Station in Toronto on Aug. 18, 2020.Melissa Tait/The Globe and Mail
Police say suspected arsonists set fire to trucks and machinery at three different Ontario locations tied to waste-management giant GFL Environmental Inc. and sister company Green Infrastructure Partners this summer, just months before shots were fired at the homes of two company executives.
In each alleged arson incident, cube vans, dump trucks or heavy machinery were set on fire, and three different Ontario police services are investigating.
GFL GFL-T is traded on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange and has become one of the four largest waste-management companies in Canada and the U.S. by continuously acquiring smaller rivals. Its largest shareholders are private equity company BC Partners and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. GFL currently has a $22-billion market value, despite losing $2.6-billion since going public in March, 2020.
The first fire occurred on June 27 a little before dawn at a GFL lot in Windsor, Ont. Police believe six commercial vehicles – including a dump truck and cube van – were deliberately set ablaze, causing about a million dollars in damage.
Shots fired at homes of two executives tied to waste management giant GFL
Four days later on July 1 in Vaughan, just north of Toronto, security footage captured images of a man dousing a dump truck in a flammable liquid just before midnight and setting it on fire in an industrial yard used by Green Infrastructure Partners (GIP). Police said six trucks in total were set on fire. GFL owns a large stake in GIP.
Then on July 5, at approximately 3:30 a.m., company machinery was set on fire at a construction site adjacent to Highway 400, also in Vaughan. The Ontario Provincial Police confirmed that they are investigating the suspected arson but would provide no further details about the scale of the damage.
A source with knowledge of the investigation confirmed that the site is connected to GFL. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the individual because they were not authorized to speak about the continuing investigation.
GFL did not respond to a request for comment.
The three separate fires occurred in a span of nine days, and three months later, the homes of two executives – GFL CEO Patrick Dovigi and former GFL senior vice-president Ted Manziaris – were shot at within one hour of each other in Toronto.
Windsor Police Service, York Regional Police and the OPP are still investigating the suspected arson cases, and Toronto Police continue to probe the home shootings.
Although all five incidents occurred in a relatively short time frame, so far only two of them – the back-to-back shootings – are believed to be connected by Toronto Police.
On Sept. 29, at 11:52 p.m., shots were fired at the front of Mr. Dovigi’s home in Toronto’s wealthy Rosedale neighbourhood. The GFL founder – who was not home at the time – told The Globe earlier this month that the attack was a botched robbery attempt and that the shots mostly went into the ground.
Just over an hour later, the home of Mr. Dovigi’s long-time business partner, Mr. Manziaris, was also fired on. Mr. Manziaris is currently a consultant to GIP. The company’s services include road paving, demolition, excavation and remediation. Two days after the shooting, nine bullet holes could be seen in the front door of Mr. Manziaris’s home in Toronto’s York Mills neighbourhood. No injuries were reported in either incident.
GIP was created in 2022 by Mr. Dovigi and the division houses some units that used to operate inside GFL. GIP also purchased Coco Paving, a family business run by siblings Jenny and Rock-Anthony Coco that was founded in Windsor and predominately operates in Ontario.
When asked whether the three suspected arsons were connected, constable James Dickson with the York Regional Police said he could not comment on investigations that are being conducted by another service, adding that information is routinely shared between partner agencies.
Windsor Police said they would provide more details “as soon as we have them,” and OPP Sergeant Ted Dongelmans would only confirm that officers are investigating a potential arson that occurred in the early morning hours of July 5 in a construction area adjacent to highway 400 near King Rd. GIP is currently doing work along the highway.
Fires are not uncommon in the waste-management industry, which regularly deals with hazardous materials.
In April, a truck exploded at a GFL waste facility in Pickering, east of Toronto. However, Durham Regional Police Service said the investigation is being handled by the Ministry of Labour, as no criminality is suspected. The incident occurred during work hours and several workers sustained minor burns.