Study Reveals Alarming Trends In Worship Attacks
A recent study reveals that arson attacks on Canadian churches have more than doubled since 2021, primarily driven by reactions to alleged unmarked graves at former residential schools rather than by general anti-religious hostility. The Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s 46-page report, titled Scorched Earth, provides the first thorough analysis of this troubling trend, using fire data, police files, and media coverage. The study notes a dramatic departure from previous years and observes that the heightened frequency of church fires has remained steady.
Despite the surge in incidents, charges have been filed in less than 4% of cases between 2021 and 2023, leaving most of the arsons unsolved and the motives largely speculative. Researchers considered two possible causes: a rise in anti-religious sentiment or a direct reaction to the news reports beginning in May 2021 about supposed unmarked graves linked to residential schools. Their analysis suggests the latter, concluding that the majority of the fires are likely tied to public anger over these claims rather than religious animosity. The report also stresses the difficulty in assigning clear motives, given that arsonists rarely step forward to explain their actions.
The study warns that the failure to adequately investigate and prosecute those responsible poses a risk to Indigenous reconciliation efforts in Canada. It emphasizes that public trust could erode if attacks associated — rightly or wrongly — with historic grievances continue without accountability. Although sensational claims of mass graves, such as the widely reported 751 unmarked graves in Saskatchewan, were later discredited due to a lack of excavations, the initial reports ignited anti-Christian hostility that led to the destruction of nearly 100 churches by the close of 2023. Confirmed arson was involved in 24 of 33 church fires, and dozens more churches were vandalized, often with anti-Catholic messages.
The report also criticizes the role of public figures and media outlets, some of whom were accused of either encouraging or downplaying the attacks during the initial reporting wave. Although apologies and corrections followed, the early spread of misinformation had already inflicted lasting damage on communities and faith institutions. In response, the study proposes several solutions, including the creation of a specialized investigative unit to address arsons at religious sites, modeled after successful American efforts from the 1990s.
Further recommendations include enhancing emergency services in Indigenous communities, where many affected churches are located, and completing Canada’s long-delayed national fire reporting system, especially on First Nations lands. Integrating Indigenous emergency services more closely with national investigative efforts, the study argues, would improve response times, strengthen evidence gathering, and promote Indigenous leadership in resolving crimes that threaten to undermine reconciliation.