The Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Allégresses, in Trois-Rivières, has been completely burned down in a fire that started Thursday.

Trois-Rivières is in the Mauricie region of Quebec, about halfway between Montreal and Quebec City.

 The cause of the fire is currently unknown for the historic church, which dates back to 1914. 

The church was undergoing a revitalization project that included a plan to build 40 to 50 homes.

Startling RCMP data

The RCMP released data last week illustrating just how many instances of arson on religious institutions have been reported over the past twelve years. The vast majority of these reports involved churches.

From 2010 to 2020, each year had somewhere between 13 and 58 arson cases reported. However, in 2021, after the unfounded ‘mass graves’ story was pushed by mainstream media outlets, the number shot up to 90. In 2022, 74 instances were reported. 

The actual number of targeted churches is much higher. As meticulously reported by Truth North, at least 112 churches in Canada have been either burned, desecrated, or vandalized since 2021.

Last year, Conservative MP Arnold Viersen introduced a motion to condemn the mass arson and vandalism against churches in Canada. The motion also called for extending condolences to affected communities and reaffirming freedom of religion.

However, during a session of the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee, Liberal and NDP MPs voted to adjourn the debate, citing that the issue could be triggering for Indigenous Canadians.