Accused Milltown arsonist a quiet, reclusive man, say neighbours

Accused arsonist Donald Craig MacHaight was a quiet man, one you wouldn't often see — or speak with.

He kept to himself, did not have a vehicle, and rarely imposed on neighbours, according to a woman who lived next door to his home in Morrisville, N.L.

Tracey Drew, who can see MacHaight's home from her living room, says she was terrified to learn that the 48-year-old man allegedly set fire to three crucial buildings in the Bay d'Espoir region on Tuesday morning.

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MacHaight is facing three charges of arson in relation to the fires at the Milltown-Bay d'Espoir town hall, Bay d'Espoir academy and the Bay d'Espoir RCMP detachment.

"I was in total shock, total panic," Drew told CBC News on Wednesday. "I live right across the road from the guy that's suspected to have done this. So it wasn't a good feeling."

Drew said MacHaight was rarely seen in the town. He'd walk from Morrisville to nearby Milltown, about seven kilometres, to pick up groceries, except when he caught a ride with Drew or others.

Morrisville, a small town in the Bay d'Espoir region on Newfoundland's south coast, is home to 130 people. Milltown-Head of Bay d'Espoir, the neighbouring community 12 kilometres away, has a population of 865.

"I've picked him up, on several occasions," she said. "He was very quiet and stuff. I mean, most people tried to help him, wherever possible."

"At night … his house was never lit up or anything. You didn't see anything of him, pretty much, not at all."

Melvin Kendall, another neighbour, said MacHaight resisted conversation and didn't seem to like interacting with others.

"He's a hard person to get to know, you know. I tried to make conversations with him a couple of dozen times," he said. "But he'll only say 'yes' and 'no,' and that's it. That's all the words he'll say."

Kendall said when he would walk down the roads in Morrisville, MacHaight would step off the pavement — on to the grass — to give himself space.

MacHaight, who is set to appear in court again on Thursday, has no criminal record.

Volunteer during floods

Both Kendall and Drew said MacHaight stepped up in a big way during October's devastating floods, volunteering and helping others even though he had only recently moved into the town.

The remnants of Hurricane Matthew hit Newfoundland hard in October, causing millions of dollars in damage across the island. In Morrisville, lawns were ripped up, structures were destroyed and some buildings were pushed into the river.

About 200 millimetres of rain was measured in the nearby town of Conne River.

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Drew said the man began to "come out of his shell, kind of, for a few weeks." He'd help other residents clean up their property, was unpacking supplies from the dock, and came to the fire hall for lunches.

"It was different, and a lot of people commented, 'My gosh, you know, he's outside, and that's good that he's out interacting with the community,'" said Drew.

But Kendall said MacHaight had trouble getting financial assistance after flooding at his own residence destroyed a snowmobile, lawn mower and bicycle.

"He lost everything, and they were not giving any help," said Kendall.

Drew said she's finding it "really hard" to cope with the situation — first the flooding in October, and now the fires.

"It's just so much happening, we don't seem to catch a break," she said. "And this is someone that lived next door to you."

"It's scary to think what might be going through someone's head."

Drew said she has empathy for the man, and believes he may need support. But, she also feels that should he be convicted, there should be a punishment.