Vancouver man receives conditional sentence for Nesters Market arson

Victor Atkinson, 50, has received a two-year conditional sentence and two years of probation for arson at the Nesters Market in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Atkinson admitted to setting the fire on March 30 as a distraction to facilitate shoplifting to support his drug use.

Prosecutors noted that the fire posed an “extreme” risk of catastrophic loss of life, as the store was crowded and hundreds of residents lived in the apartments above. The incident caused over $500,000 in damage and forced the closure of the area’s only full-service grocery store for approximately two weeks.

Pattison Food Group President Jamie Nelson expressed profound disappointment with the sentence. Nelson noted that while the Crown sought a two-year custodial sentence, the offender—who has 14 prior property crime convictions—will serve his sentence in the community after spending less than five months in pre-trial custody. The company stated the outcome fails to reflect the seriousness of the conduct or provide adequate deterrence.