A 64-year-old Stratford woman was sentenced to 12 months in jail after pleading guilty to arson charges.
Sonya Larson was sentenced to a year in prison followed by two years of probation after admitting to burning down the Hub on the Docks, a restaurant in Bayfield owned by her son Kevin.
The fire caused over $1.7 million in damages.
In Goderich court on Thursday, Kevin shared a victim impact statement, saying he just wanted to move on.
"I do not come here wanting punishment for its own sake," he said. "The fire was three years ago. I have had to move forward because my children and family need me to. What I am asking this Court to hear is the impact: I am gutted, I am tired, and I do not want the rest of her life — or the rest of my children’s childhood — spent paying for a moment I still cannot make sense of."
The sentencing was delayed from last week so he would have the opportunity to prepare a statement.
Kevin Larson said despite the financial losses, the greatest impact of the fire has been the negative media attention. He has no involvement in the fire, according to the agreed facts of the case. He is currently facing two charges of fraud over $5,000 for incidents that happened in 2022.
He then read a statement by his sister Stacey, which asked that their mother, who suffers from health conditions like fibromyalgia and helps with child care for her kids, not be sent to jail.
However, Crown Attorney Kelsey Good noted that victim impact statements can't suggest penalties, so some sections were disregarded.
In his ruling, Justice Timothy Macdonald said arson is a serious offence that must carry a jail sentence in order to denounce and deter.
Going over the agreed upon facts of the case, he said that it was concerning that Sonya Larson tried three times to burn down the restaurant. The first two attempts on October 13 and 16, 2023, were unsuccessful, but MacDonald said it showed premeditation.
He said another aggravating factor was that she claimed not to know why she set fire to the building, saying she was "in a dark place," but was able to give a detailed statement to police.
MacDonald said mitigating factors included the fact that she was a first-time offender, is dealing with chronic health issues, and plead guilty on May 4, 2026.
The Crown was seeking an 18-month jail sentence while Defence Attorney Jordan Drexler sought 18 months house arrest, noting if jail was deemed appropriate, it should be no longer than 12 months.
Larson must also complete 60 hours of community service.
The family did not wish for there to be a no-contact order included in the sentence.
