By David Opinko

RCMP investigating “suspicious fire” at Siksika Nation Catholic church

Jun 28, 2021 | 3:05 PM

SIKSIKA NATION, AB – A Southern Albertan church appears to be the latest in a string of Catholic churches across the country that have been hit with fires.

Gleichen RCMP was called around 12:30 am on Monday, June 28 to the Siksika First Nation Catholic Church.

“Preliminary investigation indicates that unknown person(s) deliberately started a fire,” reads a media release from RCMP.

Firefighters were able to put out the fire before any significant structural damage was caused.

No one was inside the church at the time and no injuries have been confirmed.

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Since the discoveries of unmarked graves at the sites of former residential schools, there have been four fires started at Catholic churches in B.C. Other Catholic churches in Edmonton and Saskatchewan were vandalized with red paint.

The Catholic Church was the most prominent religious organization that ran residential schools in the 19th and 20th centuries.

An exact motive has not been confirmed by RCMP.

The Provincial Fire Investigator and Gleichen RCMP continue to investigate.