A 28-year-old Meadow Lake man has been charged with arson after All Saints Orthodox Church was destroyed in a fire last month.

RCMP identified the accused as Gavin Burnouf. Police arrested and charged him on November 2 with one count of arson under Section 434 of the Criminal Code. He appeared in Meadow Lake Provincial Court on November 5.

The fire broke out at the church on 2nd Street East at around 2 a.m. on October 1. Meadow Lake RCMP, firefighters and paramedics responded, but the church was destroyed. Police confirmed there were no injuries.

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Investigators initially considered the fire suspicious. Meadow Lake RCMP were helped by a serious crimes unit and fire investigators from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.

So far, police say it does not appear the alleged arson was ideologically motivated. The charge against Burnouf has not been proven in court.

🚨 BREAKING: Church goes up in flames in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, hours after Truth and Reconciliation Day.

City officials and the fire chief have confirmed the fire. Cause not yet released. pic.twitter.com/Pd8D3iDcm0

— Efrain Flores Monsanto 🇨🇦🚛 (@efloresmonsanto) October 1, 2026

The destruction of the 68-year-old church left members of the Orthodox community without a spiritual and social centre. Before the arrest was announced, locals told CBC News that they were fundraising and planning to rebuild.

For years, Canadians have watched churches vandalized, damaged or burned.