Owner charged in St Kitts art gallery blaze

(Video updated) A woman has been arrested after an overnight fire destroyed an art gallery in downtown St Catharines.

The gallery opened just a few days ago.

Jeannette Tossounian, 36, of Niagara Falls will appear at a bail hearing today. She was the gallery owner, and an artist herself.

Firefighters were called to the building on Welland Avenue just after two o’clock this morning. They received information about a woman spotted leaving the scene carrying a gas canister.

A woman living in an attached apartment escaped and wasn’t hurt. No one was inside the store-front gallery at the time but there was some art work inside.

The fire caused around $200,000 to $300,000 damage. The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office has been called to investigate.

Video: Kate Carnegie reports: