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RCMP are investigating after a fire tore through the Thunderchild Word Church on Saskatchewan's Thunderchild First Nation, northwest of North Battleford, leaving the congregation devastated and two Conservative MPs warning of a disturbing rise in hate crimes against places of worship.

The blaze broke out on September 1, gutting what locals referred to as the “blue church.” While no one was hurt, the financial loss is estimated at more than $250,000 — including instruments, equipment, and irreplaceable personal items.

Co-pastor Alvina Thunderchild described the scene to CJME as members stood crying outside: “It felt like somebody died… They could have taken stuff, but why burn it down? They hate the church, they hate everything that represents God.”

Despite the destruction, she said the congregation is determined to rebuild: “Fire or no fire, the work of God will still proceed. We’re still here and we are not giving up.”

MPs Call It What It Is: Hate

Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake MP Rosemarie Falk wrote on social media that the fire was a “deliberate burning” and “an attack on the values of faith, fellowship, and service that this church represents in the community.”

Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek MP Kelly Block said the attack reflected “rising intolerance, if not outright hatred,” adding that no Canadian should ever feel unsafe entering a place of worship.

Their warnings echo a trend most politicians and media have downplayed: since 2021, dozens of Christian churches in Canada — many on First Nations — have been vandalized or burned, often in the wake of unproven “mass grave” claims. Arrests are rare, accountability even rarer.

Still No Answers

RCMP have not confirmed whether the Thunderchild fire was arson, though a nearly identical blaze in nearby Loon Lake last year was ruled deliberate, with a suspect arrested.

Police are asking anyone with information to call Turtleford RCMP at 310-RCMP or report anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Meanwhile, donations to help rebuild can be sent by e-transfer to [email protected] with “Thunderchild” in the memo.