Authorities in Toronto have opened an arson investigation into the fire that consumed a historic Anglican church last year, destroying the landmark hours before Sunday services were set to begin.
St. Anne’s Church, a Toronto congregation within the Anglican Church of Canada, was engulfed in flames on June 9, 2024, leaving the structure in ruins after an early-morning blaze swept through the entire building.
On Monday, the Toronto Police Service formally announced that the incident is now investigating the fire as a “suspected arson.”
In a joint statement responding to the development, the Anglican Diocese of Toronto and the St. Anne’s community expressed sadness at the update while expressing gratitude to investigators for their ongoing work.
Bishop Kevin Robertson, who serves as a suffragan bishop in the diocese, said he was heartbroken at the possibility the blaze was intentional.
He stated he was “devastated to hear that the fire that destroyed the congregation of St. Anne’s building on Gladstone may have been deliberately set,” and encouraged prayers both for the congregation and for anyone responsible. “We pray for the person or persons who may have perpetrated this act, that they might seek forgiveness and healing.”
The Rev. Hannah Johnston, priest-in-charge of St. Anne’s, was quoted in the statement as saying that while the loss of the building “has been devastating,” the “community is resilient.”
“Our faith tells us that there is hope even in the face of suffering and death, and that new life can spring from the ashes,” she said. “The church is the people who gather in worship and in service of others, and we look forward to worshipping and serving in this neighborhood for many more years to come.”
Founded in 1908, St. Anne’s was an architectural and cultural landmark built in the Byzantine Revival style, adorned with interior murals created by 10 Toronto artists during the 1920s. The Canadian government designated the structure a national historic site in 1997, recognizing its artistic and spiritual significance.
In recent years, churches across Canada—Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox—have faced a surge of vandalism and arson attacks. The escalation began in 2021 after false speculation suggested that mass graves of Indigenous children had been discovered at former Catholic-run residential schools.
Subsequent scholarly reviews challenged the claims, noting that some sites were existing cemeteries that contained adult remains and others yielded no confirmed remains of children. Despite this, dozens of churches were attacked in the aftermath of the accusations.
According to reporting last year by the independent media outlet True North, at least 96 church buildings across Canada have been desecrated, vandalized, or destroyed since the mass grave allegations arose.
