Another Canadian Christian church has just been destroyed by a massive fire as a series of arson attacks continues to rip through the country.
At about 10:30 p.m. on December 15th, the Wood Buffalo RCMP arrived at the St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Janvier Alberta — about 120 kilometers south of Fort McMurray — where the church was fully engulfed in flames.
Police say witnesses reported a silver sedan driving away from the church at the time of the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the RCMP.
However, investigators believe the fire could is the result of arson.
In a video released on Facebook, councilor Shane Janvier of the Chipewyan Prairie Dene First Nation said the fire was a result of arson.
“We’re treaty Indians here that belong to this nation, this band, this community,” Janvier said.
“If we’re going to make statements that this is our land, we’re going to fight for this land, then we’d better damn well learn to respect this land.”
Janvier expressed his frustration with the incident, saying that the church was home to several of the community’s baptisms, weddings, and funerals.
“Enough is enough,” he said.
Bishop Gary Franken of