A year after a house explosion that left one person dead and shook the Riverdale neighborhood of Whitehorse, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have laid charges against the owner of the home.
On November 14, 2023, at approximately 5:30 a.m., an explosion occurred on Bates Crescent. When help arrived, almost nothing remained of the structure and several nearby homes had been damaged.
The blast also killed 77-year-old David Gould, who lived in the neighboring house and whose bedroom was near the explosion.
So far, authorities have shared very little information about the origin of the explosion. A Yukon Major Crime Unit investigation has been launched.
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The explosion also caused damage to neighboring houses.
Photo: Provided by Sandi Coleman
After this investigation that the GRC qualifies as very complex and technical
and having required the support of several organizations outside the territory, the police filed, almost a year later, two charges against the owner of the house which exploded, Timothy Preston.
He is accused of contravening two sections of the Yukon Gas Appliances Act, namely installing or modifying a gas appliance or installation without a permit and using an appliance that was installed or modified without a license.
If convicted, Timothy Preston could be fined up to $2,000 and imprisoned for up to six months. His court date is set for January 7, 2025.
