| 2021 Canadian church fires | |
|---|---|
 Charred remains of Sacred Heart Mission, Penticton | |
| Location | British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, and Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Date | Began June 2021 |
| Target | Catholic and Anglican church buildings |
Attack type | Arson, vandalism |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 0 |
| Perpetrators | Several |
| Motive | Unknown, suspected response to the May 2021 discovery of probable Canadian Indian residential school gravesites[1] |
A series of vandalizations, church arsons, and suspicious fires in June and July 2021 damaged or destroyed Christian churches in Canada and United States. Coincident with fires, vandalism and other destructive events damaged churches in Canada, primarily in British Columbia.
Canadian government officials, church members, and Canadian First Nations leaders have speculated that the fires and other acts of vandalism have been reactions to the reported discovery of unmarked graves at Canadian Indian residential school sites in May 2021. In July 2021, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for an end to the fires and encouraged the Catholic Church to apologize for its role in the residential school system. As of 2024[update], no conclusive motive for any of the arsons has been formally identified by government investigators.
A report by CBC News in 2024 identified at least 24 arsons at Christian churches in Canada between May 2021 and December 2023. Of the arsons, nine resulted in arrests, with law enforcement not identifying a motive in incidents resulting in criminal charges. The investigation identified a relationship between the arsons and increased reporting on the gravesites.[2]
- ^ Ho, Solarina (5 July 2021). "'Not in solidarity with us': Indigenous leaders call for church arsons to stop". CTV News. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
- ^ Reith, Terry (January 10, 2024). "At least 33 Canadian churches have burned to the ground since May 2021. So far, 24 are confirmed arsons". CBC News. Retrieved May 17, 2024.