The Saint-Simon church in New Brunswick, built in 1918, was destroyed in a suspected arson attack last week. The building was unoccupied at the time, and no injuries were reported. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed that the fire was deliberately set. Gilles Mallet, 68, has been arrested and charged with arson in connection with the incident, although authorities have not disclosed a suspected motive. The church was significant to the local Catholic community and has been declared a total loss.
Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party and head of Canada's Official Opposition, referenced the incident to underscore what he describes as a trend of religiously motivated attacks in Canada. He stated, "One hundred churches have been burned," and claimed that Christians are often the primary victims of hate-based violence, adding that it is not politically correct to acknowledge this. Poilievre emphasized that Canadians of all faiths should be able to worship peacefully.
In response, Liberal MP John-Paul Danko criticized Conservative members for citing figures from a 2025 investigation by True North, which documented 123 cases of arson or vandalism against churches since 2021. He urged the government to focus on what he termed "real hate crimes," specifically mentioning antisemitic intimidation as a pressing issue.
Official Canadian government data indicates that from 2016 to 2023, there were 463 recorded arson attacks at religious institutions across the country, though no specific count exists for incidents targeting churches. In 2024, Conservative MPs proposed legislation to impose mandatory minimum sentences for arson at places of worship, but the bill was not passed due to the suspension of parliament following former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation in January 2025. The proposed legislation has not been reintroduced in the House since then.