Man charged in connection to Barrington Lake wildfire pleads not guilty

Charges have been laid against a 22-year-old Nova Scotia man for lighting a fire last May that grew to become the largest wildfire in the province's history. In this aerial image, an aircraft, centre, flies near a wildfire burning near Barrington Lake in Shelburne County, N.S., on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Communications Nova Scotia **MANDATORY CREDIT**

By The Canadian Press

Posted Mar 20, 2024 01:05:42 PM.

Last Updated Mar 20, 2024 01:05:45 PM.

The 22-year-old man charged in connection with the largest wildfire in Nova Scotia’s history has pleaded not guilty.

Dalton Clark Stewart from Villagedale did not appear before a provincial court judge in Shelburne yesterday, but his lawyer entered not guilty pleas to three charges on his client’s behalf.

Stewart was charged under the Forests Act following an investigation into the Barrington Lake wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes and displaced thousands of people last year.

The 22-year-old is due back in court in June to set a date for a trial.

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