Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada, October 3, 2026
Photo: rebelnews.com
A fire destroyed All Saints Orthodox Church in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, on the evening of Wednesday, September 30, leaving the building gutted.
All Saints is a parish of the Orthodox Church in America’s Archdiocese of Canada. By Thursday morning, photos posted by parishioners and local residents showed the roof gone and the walls charred. The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined and remains under investigation, according to the OCA.
Thankfully, no one was hurt.
The church had served the Orthodox faithful of Meadow Lake for nearly 70 years. Meadow Lake is a city of roughly 5,000 people about 155 miles northwest of Saskatoon, bordering the Flying Dust First Nation.
The church held artwork, icons and stained glass windows that will be difficult, if not impossible, to replace, said parishioner Kent Vidal.
The parish announced the loss on its Facebook page: “No one was hurt, for which we are immensely thankful. While our sure hope in Christ is not confined to any structure, we still mourn the loss of our beautiful hall, its many icons, and the years of care that were lovingly poured into the sacred space.”
The parish community is now assessing the loss and considering its next steps.
The fire broke out hours after Canada marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, the federal holiday created in 2021 to commemorate the legacy of residential schools. Rebel News reports that since May 2021, when the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation announced the possible discovery of unmarked graves at the former Kamloops residential school, well over 100 Christian churches across Canada have been burned, vandalized or desecrated, according to tallies compiled by the outlet and others. Many of the arsons remain unsolved.
The outlet also noted that the fire is the latest in a string of church fires in northwestern Saskatchewan.
The OCA asks the faithful to keep the clergy and parishioners of All Saints Church in their prayers during this time.
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