2 Catholic churches on B.C. reserves burn to ground in 'suspicious' fires on National Indigenous Peoples Day
Two Catholic churches, both located on First Nations reserve land, went up in flames and then burned to the ground in B.C.’s South Okanagan region on National Indigenous Peoples Day, and band leaders are expressing grief and shock.
The first fire destroyed the Sacred Heart Church on Penticton Indian Band land. A Penticton RCMP officer was on patrol when he observed the fire on Green Mountain Road at 1:22 a.m., according to a statement from the RCMP.
“By the time the officer arrived on scene the church was fully engulfed,” reads the statement from Sgt. Jason Bayda of the Penticton South Okanagan RCMP.
Penticton Indian Band leaders said in a statement that they’re in “disbelief and anger” and that many members “sought comfort and solace in the church.”
The second fire, near Oliver, was on Osoyoos Indian Band land, at St. Gregory’s Church on Nk’Mip Road. Oliver fire crews were called just before 3 a.m. Monday. When they arrived, the church was fully engulfed, and crews stayed on the scene for six hours.
The fires come about a month after the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc announced it had discovered remains of 215 children in unmarked graves at the nearby Kamloops Indian Residential School which was run by church missionaries. Both the Penticton and Osoyoos bands are members of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council, as is the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc.
Both churches had active congregations.
So far there is no indication that the fires are related to the discovery at the Kamloops school. But the RCMP says the two fires are suspicious.
“We are sensitive to the recent events, but won’t speculate on a motive,” Bayda said.
The Penticton Indian Band leadership said the recent discovery in Kamloops has been traumatic, and although it sparked grief and rage across the country it believes that setting fire to the churches won’t heal the intergenerational wounds of residential schools.
“We have supports to help deal with these emotions in a more healing way,” reads their statement.
“We cannot speculate that the person(s) responsible had any connection to the Indigenous communities in our region, all we can do is to be there for one another in this unbelievably hard time,” reads the statement.
The leadership also stressed that members are free to follow whatever religion feels right to them.
“It is not our place to say who to worship and what historical relevance it has to our people, we are all free to choose and it is our place as a community to support that freedom.”
Fire Chief Bob Graham of the Oliver Fire Department, whose crews responded to the fire on the Osoyoos Indian Band land said firefighters went into defensive mode when they arrived on scene. There was nothing they could do to rescue the church, he said, so they worked to make sure it didn’t spread to the nearby desert brush.
RCMP say they are working with both the Penticton and Osoyoos Indian Bands as they investigate.
“Should our investigations deem these fires as arson, the RCMP will be looking at all possible motives and allow the facts and evidence to direct our investigative action,” Bayda said.
Police are asking for anyone who may have witnessed people or vehicles near either churches either late on June 20 or early on June 21, to contact the Penticton RCMP detachment at 250-492-4300.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.