Mental health concerns raised for man charged with arson in Lake Louise fire

There are serious mental health concerns for the Lake Louise man accused of setting a fire last month that destroyed a ski resort's staff accommodations, leaving more than 160 people homeless, a Calgary judge has heard.

Timothy Alexander Peterson, 40, is charged with arson and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

On Tuesday, Justice Sean Dunnigan ordered Peterson to undergo a 30-day NCR (not criminally responsible) assessment at the request of his lawyer, Susan Karpa. 

That means there are concerns that Peterson did not understand his actions were morally wrong at the time of the fire. 

• Residents of Lake Louise housing complex shattered by blaze as man charged with arson

On July 3, RCMP found a man in distress on the roof of the Charleston Residence, a three-storey log building just off the Trans Canada Highway that housed staff who work at the Lake Louise Ski Resort.

The man had a knife on him at the time, according to police. 

Officers were eventually able to coax the man down. 

Peterson is currently being housed at the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre. 

He will be back in court next month. At that time, a judge will be told the psychiatrist's recommendations following the NCR assessment.

If he is found to have been suffering psychosis at the time of the fire, Peterson could be found not criminally responsible (NCR), meaning he would continue to live and be treated at the forensic psychiatric hospital.

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