Two historic Christian churches in Canada were set on fire last week in what officials are describing as arson.
Conservative political officials have called for an end to what they see as “attacks on Christianity” after over a hundred churches have been damaged or burned since 2021.
Two houses of worship in Barrhead, a community 120 miles northwest of Alberta’s capital city of Edmonton, were destroyed in a fire on December 7. The RCMP states that within two hours of one other, the United Church of Pioneer and St. Aidan’s Church were leveled.
The fire damaged both buildings, likely beyond repair, even though the Barrhead Fire Services arrived quickly. The flames spared everyone’s lives.
According to the preliminary investigation conducted by the Barrhead RCMP, the fires were intentionally set. However, the exact motivation remains unknown.
The CPC’s Pierre Poilievre, the prime minister, condemned the acts with the utmost severity. Those responsible for the arson assaults on Alberta churches will have to live with the repercussions of their “crimes,” says Premier Danielle Smith, who doubles as the leader of the United Conservative Party.
Neither the church burnings nor the identification or punishment of those responsible have received any substantial attention from the federal government during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tenure.
Liberal and New Democratic party legislators in Canada turned down a Conservative Party of Canada motion that would have condemned church burning and vandalism.
Despite the high incidence of church fires in Canada, Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez recently made the audacious suggestion that more control of the internet, namely “online,” may be the answer to the current wave of anti-Christian church burnings.
A suspicious-looking older two-ton vehicle was seen parked outside St. Aidan’s Church by a passerby around the time the fire broke out. It left when rescuers arrived.
Authorities ask anybody with information to contact the Barrhead RCMP or Crime Stoppers.
