Two 12-year-old girls from Elsipogtog First Nation have been arrested in connection with an arson in the community.

On November 10, around 5 a.m., RCMP and Elsipogtog Fire Services were called to a fire at a youth centre on Big Cove Road in Elsipogtog First Nation.

Mounties say the youth centre was destroyed by the fire and a subsequent investigation deemed it to be suspicious.

Later the same day, police arrested a 12-year-old girl and the next day, a second 12-year-old girl was arrested.

Both girls were later released and are scheduled to appear in Elsipogtog Provincial Court in March 2023.

“The Elsipogtog Youth Centre has been an integral part of our community for more than 20 years,” said Chief Aaren Sock.

“We are currently in discussion with our youth support staff and various departments to determine the steps necessary to ensure that youth services can continue during this time.”

“We recognize this is a very significant loss and we’d like to thank the community for their assistance with this investigation,” said Sgt. Pierre-Luc Hache of the Elsipogtog RCMP detachment.

“Thanks to information provided by community members, we were able to quickly identify the individuals responsible for the fire.”