Century-old church in Morinville destroyed by fire
Morinville #Morinville
An early morning fire that destroyed a century-old church about 30 kilometres north of Edmonton is being treated as suspicious by RCMP.
The fire inside the St. Jean Baptiste Parish in Morinville is being investigated as arson, said Staff Sgt. Tom Kalis in an interview with CBC News.
“Given the time and the circumstances around the event, as well as some evidence that we’ve initially been able to gather at the scene, suggests to us that we should be treating this as a suspicious fire.”
The fire began around 3:30 a.m. local time and surrounding homes and businesses including a seniors home were evacuated, Kalis said.
The steeple on the church fell sometime this morning. Videos shared by witnesses on social media show the structure, engulfed in flames, collapsing.
The church, located at 10034 100 Ave. on the town’s main thoroughfare dates back more than 100 years.
The first rectory — a simple log structure constructed in 1895 — was moved and joined to a second building erected in 1912 to create the current rectory.