Edmonton police looking to identify man spotted near fire that damaged Whyte Ave restaurant patio in June
Posted September 17, 2026 11:11 am.
Edmonton police are looking to identify a man spotted by surveillance footage near a former Mexican restaurant on Whyte Avenue that was damaged in a suspected arson earlier this summer.
The patio of El Cortez on Whyte and Gateway – a restaurant and tequila bar that’s been closed since early 2025 – went up in flames on the night of June 25.
The Edmonton Police Service at the time said the fire was suspicious.
A video of the blaze shared on social media showed a large fireball at the two-level patio. In one photo, the flames could be seen from several blocks away.
Now investigators are saying they determined two fires were deliberately set between 7:40 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. in an act of arson, with the second one causing extensive damage to the building.
No neighbouring buildings were damaged, and there were no injuries.
Edmonton police say they have reviewed footage, and they are looking to identify an unknown man captured in the area of the fire around the time of both fires. Authorities did not explicitly call the man a suspect in their news release.
Police are also hoping to hear from witnesses or anyone who captured footage of the fires.
El Cortez closed temporarily at the start of 2025 for renovations, but it appears the business was eventually closed permanently.
Three days prior to the arson, renovation work had begun to transform the space into an Asian fusion restaurant, the owners told CityNews in June.
