Liberal MP dismisses church attacks as ‘conspiracy theories,’ despite government records
MP John Paul Danko dismissed concerns about church burnings after unsubstantiated mass grave claims at former residential schools.
Liberal MP John‑Paul Danko of Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas dismissed concerns about the burning and vandalizing of churches across Canada as “alt-right conspiracy theories” in a stunning display of political tone‑deafness earlier this week.
A Liberal MP accused me of peddling "conspiracy theories" and quoting "alt-right" media for talking about the 120+ churches that have been burned or vandalized on the Liberals' watch. I will always stand up against real hate and defend free speech. pic.twitter.com/hbX79Qx1oU
— Andrew Lawton (@AndrewLawton) October 4, 2025
The exchange occurred during debate on Bill C-9, the Combatting Hate Act, when Conservative MP Andrew Lawton raised questions about how the bill could threaten civil liberties while ignoring documented hate crimes targeting Christian places of worship.
Danko’s retort was to accuse Lawton of spreading extremist conspiracies, which flies in the face of government-verified incidents of church desecration.
Government records contradict Danko’s claim, showing 463 church burnings between 2016 and 2023. Annual totals, around 50 before 2021, nearly doubled that year, coinciding with media outrage over unconfirmed residential school mass grave reports.
Outrage and vandalism surged after the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced the detection of child graves at the former Kamloops Residential School in May 2021. Despite no excavation substantiating the initial claim of "215 children's remains," major outlets like the New York Times, USA Today, and the Associated Press ran "mass graves" headlines, fueling international condemnation and nationwide vandalism.
Two-thirds of Canadians demand proof before accepting Kamloops ‘unmarked graves’ claims
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) August 19, 2025
Four years after the Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced the discovery of what was initially called 215 “unmarked graves” at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, a strong… pic.twitter.com/cNKSCAB7PJ
By mid-2021, statues were toppled, churches torched, and Canada’s religious communities faced an unprecedented wave of hostility. Data compiled by independent researchers and corroborated by federal disclosures show 123 separate attacks on Christian sites since the Kamloops claim — ranging from arson in British Columbia and Alberta to vandalism in Saskatchewan and Ontario, with two dead in Manitoba.
By contrast, one excavation that did occur at Pine Creek, Manitoba, found no human remains — only animal bones and debris. “None suggested evidence of human remains,” said the chief.
Even the CBC repeated the “mass graves” narrative and was later forced to issue a correction acknowledging there was no confirmation of burial sites.
BREAKING: CBC’s Rosemary Barton called me a liar and pushed false unmarked grave claims on national television. Now the state broadcaster is quietly backpedaling from their misinformation used to vilify Rebel News. pic.twitter.com/ZrbZLEJPQB
— Drea Humphrey (@DreaHumphrey) April 21, 2025
Despite this, Danko’s remarks in the House dismiss the pattern of targeted violence as a “conspiracy theory.” At the same time, his government is advancing legislation that critics warn could criminalize dissenting speech on precisely these topics.
To label the documented destruction of churches as “conspiracy” isn’t just careless rhetoric; it erases victims, inflames division, and undermines public trust. Canada cannot claim to “combat hate” while refusing to confront hate crimes that fail to fit its preferred narrative.
Downplaying real hate crimes while virtue-signalling about "combatting hate" is the real conspiracy, and it’s not a theory.
Plus, you can’t have truth and reconciliation without truth.
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