by David Lindfield
A historic church in Saint-Romain, Quebec, has been destroyed after a massive fire tore through the building overnight, marking yet another incident in a growing wave of attacks targeting Christian institutions across Canada.
The church, whose construction began in 1893, was reduced to rubble.
Dramatic footage of the blaze quickly spread across social media, sparking outrage.
Arson Surge Fuels Growing Concern
The destruction comes amid mounting evidence that attacks on churches have sharply increased in recent years.
A prior investigation by CBC News documented a surge in incidents beginning in 2021.
A follow-up report from the Macdonald-Laurier Institute found that arson attacks on religious institutions more than doubled compared to pre-2021 levels.
Even more striking, the report found that fewer than 4% of these cases have resulted in charges.
Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of cases have been left unsolved.