Blaze at Polish Catholic church deemed suspicious by RCMP
While an inspection has failed to determine what caused the blaze that destroyed a roughly century-old church northwest of Saskatoon this week, RCMP say the fire is considered “suspicious.”
Flames sparked in a historic Catholic church near Redberry Lake around noon on Thursday, engulfing the entire building in roughly half an hour.
The church was no longer in use and no one was injured by the fire, RCMP said.
Premier Scott Moe said Friday he was “saddened and deeply concerned” by the loss of the church in his home constituency.
“While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, the burning of this church is suspicious without question in the midst of other arson attacks on churches across Canada,” he said in a prepared statement.
The Redberry Lake fire comes during a wave of arson and vandalism at Catholic churches, which comes following various First Nations identifying unmarked graves on the grounds of former churchrun residential schools using ground-penetrating radar.
Last month, the Cowessess First Nation in southeast Saskatchewan revealed it had identified 751 unmarked graves on the grounds of a former residential school.
Moe spoke against those acts, saying they set back efforts by “Saskatchewan people (to) come together in the wake of tragic discoveries to build hope for the future while recognizing the harmful actions of the past.”
“Acts of division do nothing to further this purpose, nor do they represent the collective heart of Saskatchewan people. The individuals responsible for such destructive and hate-driven acts must be held accountable.”
Douglas Swystun and Lynn Swystun, who along with other family members own the property the church was on, say there was no sign of lightning or other such fire starters on the day of the blaze.
Lynn Swystun was mowing the lawn on Thursday when she saw smoke billowing. She drove to the nearby church to find it in flames.
The fire reduced the community landmark to ashes, which the Swystuns say is a difficult loss. On Thursday, some neighbours drove by to see the remains of the building, fondly recalling the Polish Catholic church's services for family members. A plaque says it ran from 1909 to 1985.
The Swystuns donated money to Douglas' brother Rodney when he refurbished the church roughly 10 years ago, costing between $15,000 and $20,000, Lynn said.
“The absence is horrible,” Douglas said.