Northern Alta. church and 100 years of history 'completely destroyed' in fire
CTV
Very little is left of a northern Alberta Catholic church that was the scene of a fire early Thursday morning.
Very little is left of a northern Alberta Catholic church that was the scene of a fire early Thursday morning.
RCMP said a blaze at an inactive Catholic church in Fort Chipewyan, a fly-in hamlet in the province's far northeast, was reported at 2:34 a.m.
A community member identified the building as the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Roman Catholic Church, built in 1909.
In a Facebook livestream at 3:20 a.m., Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation chief Allan Adam said the building is "completely destroyed."
In the video, flames have engulfed the structure.
"Over 100 years in history, gone up in flames. This was uncalled for. This was a beautiful church," Adam comments.
RCMP Corp. Troy Savinkoff said the cause of the fire is not known yet, but the blaze will be investigated as suspicious.
