Canada's Burning Churches: A Failure of Leadership and Accountability

In the past few years, Canada has witnessed a disturbing wave of vandalism and arson targeting churches. What began as isolated incidents following unverified claims about burial sites of Indigenous children near former residential schools has escalated into a crisis, with over 120 churches vandalized or burned since 2021. This troubling trend reflects not only societal unrest but also a glaring failure of leadership at every level of government to address or condemn these attacks effectively.

The catalyst for this surge in attacks was the announcement in May 2021 by the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation in Kamloops, British Columbia. They claimed to have found evidence of 215 unmarked graves of Indigenous children near a former residential school, based on ground-penetrating radar findings. The claim was widely reported in national and international media, often with emotive terms like "mass graves."

However, no excavations or further investigations have confirmed these findings. Despite almost $80 million in federal funding allocated to locate and commemorate these alleged burial sites, no bodies have been uncovered. Yet, this unverified claim has fueled anger and been used as justification for a wave of attacks on churches, many of which are associated with the residential school system.

Since the Kamloops announcement, nearly 120 churches across Canada—Catholic and non-Catholic—have been targeted. At least 33 have burned to the ground, 24 of which have been confirmed as arson. The destruction of these places of worship has left communities devastated, yet the response from Canadian authorities has been shockingly inadequate.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tepid condemnation of these acts as "unacceptable and wrong" was quickly undermined by his comment that the motives for the attacks were "real and fully understandable." Such mixed messages from the federal government reflect a dangerous ambivalence that risks normalizing violence against religious institutions.

At the provincial and municipal levels, the failure to take decisive action has been equally disheartening. Police investigations have been slow and under-resourced, resulting in only 12 charges and a single conviction as of early 2024. Meanwhile, no comprehensive tracking or reporting system for these attacks has been established, leaving Canadians in the dark about the full scale of the crisis.

Imagine if even a fraction of these attacks had targeted mosques or synagogues. The outrage would have been swift, and the response, decisive. Yet, when churches burn, the silence from progressive voices and media outlets is deafening. This double standard reflects a growing animosity toward Christianity in certain segments of Canadian society, where the church’s historical role in residential schools has been conflated with contemporary faith communities.

This indifference is unacceptable. Freedom of religion is a fundamental right enshrined in Canada’s Constitution, and the destruction of sacred spaces, regardless of the faith they represent, is an attack on the very fabric of a diverse and tolerant society.

The perpetuation of unverified claims about mass graves has done immense harm, not only to the churches targeted in these attacks but also to Indigenous communities seeking truth and reconciliation. The lack of evidence to substantiate these claims undermines the credibility of legitimate grievances related to residential schools and hinders efforts to address historical injustices.

Moreover, the term “denialist” has emerged to vilify anyone who questions these unproven allegations, creating an atmosphere of fear and suppressing critical dialogue. Some government officials have even suggested criminalizing dissent, a move that would set a dangerous precedent for free speech in Canada.

Canada’s leadership at all levels must take immediate and decisive action to address this crisis. This begins with:

1. Condemning Church Attacks Unequivocally: Government officials must denounce these acts of violence without qualification.

2. Committing to Comprehensive Investigations: Allocate resources to thoroughly investigate both the church fires and the burial site claims, starting with Kamloops. Transparency and accountability are essential to restoring trust.

3. Protecting Religious Institutions: Implement measures to safeguard all places of worship, regardless of denomination, from further attacks.

4. Fostering Honest Dialogue: Encourage open discussions about the legacy of residential schools and the role of the church, free from the threat of censorship or criminalization.

The wave of church burnings in Canada is not just a crisis of arson; it is a crisis of leadership, truth, and national identity. By failing to address these attacks decisively, Canada’s leaders have allowed anger and misinformation to overshadow the pursuit of justice and reconciliation.

The path to healing lies not in the destruction of sacred spaces but in their preservation and in the pursuit of truth, however uncomfortable it may be. Only then can Canada begin to mend the deep divisions that have been laid bare by this tragic chapter in its history.