Church fire may have been arson: RCMP

MORLEY, ALTA., (CP) — Mounties say new information has led investigators to believe a fire that destroyed a historic Alberta church was deliberately set.

RCMP say a fire investigator’s initial observations led to a determination that the May 22 fire at McDougall Church in Morley was accidental.

But they are now treating the blaze as an arson based on a further review by the MD of Big Horn fire investigator.

Insp. Lauren Weare says several investigators are focused on trying to identify the person or persons responsible.

The McDougall Stoney Mission Society says on its web page that the church was built in 1875 by Rev. George McDougall, a Methodist who had long wanted to open a mission among the Stoney-Nakoda and Blackfoot people.

It was designated a historic site in 1979 by the United Church of Canada and the Alberta government.

“The McDougall Church was a significant historical heritage site and its loss has saddened both locals and non-locals alike,” Weare said in the release Friday.

Police had said the church was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.

The mission society’s website says the church was restored in 1952. Commemorative services were held there on the second Sunday of June and September of each year.