Surrey, B.C., church destroyed in fire; Mounties investigating suspicious circumstances
Looking for the latest on the church fire? Here's our coverage from July 20.
SURREY, B.C. -- A Surrey, B.C., church has been destroyed after a massive fire early Monday morning.
Flames broke out at St. George Coptic Orthodox Church on 108 Avenue and 139 Street shortly after 3:30 a.m.
By the time firefighters arrived the building was engulfed in flames and it was upgraded to a third-alarm fire.
Crews took a defensive strategy to stop the flames from spreading to nearby homes.
“We were worried about exposures; we’ve got one residential house to the east of it. We wanted to make sure the flying embers weren’t igniting anything else,” said Assistant Chief Shelley Morris, of the Surrey Fire Service.
Fortunately, no one was hurt.
“We don’t know the cause at this time. We’ll be investigating later today once we fully douse the fire.”
Surrey RCMP has confirmed there was an attempted arson at the church last week, and the investigation is ongoing.
Surveillance video, provided from the church and dated last Wednesday at 2:30 a.m., shows a woman approaching the front door of the building and lighting it on fire.
Members of the church say there was some damage to the door and they’ve been working with police to identify the suspect.
“It is disturbing that the church has now burnt,” said Sgt. Elenore Sturko with the Surrey RCMP. “We will be investigating both of these incidents separately, and this time there is no indication that these two incidents are linked, but we will be looking very closely at both the circumstances.”
Some in the congregation feel the church was deliberately set ablaze.
“I think it's arson and I think it has probably to do with the burning of churches that's happening around the country, where there is no distinction between one type of church or another type of church,” said Medhat Elmasry, a church board member.
Sturko said the string of fires targeting various churches is also on the minds of police.
“We also are aware that there have been other church fires across British Columbia and other parts of Canada, and we are alive to that. We don't have any information to suggest is related to any of those other incidents at this time, but our officers, and the Surrey Fire Service, are treating this as suspicious at this time,” she said.
Elmasry said the church has been there since the '90s and more than 380 families attend it.
“It feels really bad, because… it's our life, our churches, our life. We spend a lot of time in our church. And we have a large congregation. So I speak on behalf of my congregation. I'm sure we're all heartbroken at the moment,” he told CTV News.
He said many of the items inside of the church are irreplaceable.
“There are relics of saints that are totally priceless. That must have gone in these flames. You cannot recover those," he said, adding that he hopes the person responsible is caught.
“My message is: what have you achieved? What did you do this for? You targeted a peaceful community, a peaceful church.”
The church was also home to a daycare.
The operators told CTV News they have insurance, but are concerned about where the 65 kids they usually look after will go.
Officials say 108 Avenue near 139 Street is expected to be shutdown for several hours.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Torchbearers in Marseille kick off the Olympic flame's journey across France
Torchbearers carried the Olympic flame through the streets of France's southern port city of Marseille on Thursday, a day after it arrived on a majestic three-mast ship for a welcoming ceremony.
Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Court to hear about search for remains as Winnipeg murder trial enters second day
A courtroom in Winnipeg is expected to hear testimony today about the search for the remains of the four victims of Jeremy Skibicki.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.