100-year-old Saint-Simon church reduced to ashes in suspected arson attack

The building was unoccupied and no injuries were reported, but the Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed the blaze was deliberately set.

The historic structure, a cornerstone of the local Catholic community in the region, has been declared a total loss.

Gilles Mallet, 68, was subsequently arrested and charged with arson in connection with the fire. Authorities have not disclosed a suspected motive.

Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative Party leader and head of Canada’s Official Opposition, seized on the incident to highlight what he describes as a pattern of religiously motivated attacks across the country.

"One hundred churches have been burned," he told Juno News.

"Christians may be the number one group that are victims of hate-based violence. But, of course, it’s not politically correct to say that," he added.

The MP insisted that Canadians of every faith "deserve to worship in peace."

Mr Poilievre has repeatedly accused Liberal Party politicians of turning a blind eye to violence targeting Christians.

A 2025 investigation by True North, documented 123 separate cases of arson or vandalism directed at churches since 2021.

That report sparked a fierce row in the House of Commons.

Liberal MP John-Paul Danko accused Conservative colleagues who cited the True North figures of "repeating conspiracy theories," urging the government to focus on "real hate crimes" rather than "quoting alt-right, so-called alternative news."

Mr Danko pointed to antisemitic intimidation as a more pressing concern. "I’m talking about Jewish members in my community who are covering their Jewish identity in public, that is the hate that we’re talking about," he said.

His remarks were directed at Conservative MP Andrew Lawton, who hit back on X: "I will always stand up against real hate and defend free speech."

The exchange laid bare a deep partisan divide over which forms of religious hatred merit political attention in Canada.

Official Canadian government data paints a broader picture: between 2016 and 2023, some 463 arson attacks were recorded at religious institutions nationwide, though no separate tally exists for incidents specifically targeting churches.

In 2024, Conservative MPs tabled legislation that would have imposed a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for anyone convicted of setting fire to a place of worship for the first time, rising to seven years for repeat offenders.

However, the bill’s passage was cut short when former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation in January 2025, triggering a suspension of parliament while the Liberal Party selected a new leader.

The proposed legislation has not been brought back before the House since and there is no indication it will be revived.