Fire Destroys All Saints Orthodox Church in Canada

MEADOW LAKE, SK — A fire destroyed All Saints Orthodox Church in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, on the evening of September 30, leaving the parish without its church building after nearly 70 years of worship there. The cause of the fire has not been determined and remains under investigation, according to the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). No one was injured.

Video of the fire was posted on X. The parish said its members are mourning the loss of the church, including its icons, artwork, stained-glass windows, and other features that had been lovingly maintained for decades. Services will not be held this weekend as the community considers its next steps.

Parish priest Igumen Vladimir Lysak wrote in a private Facebook post:

“Please pray for my community of All Saints Orthodox Church as we deal with the loss of our church. Lord, have mercy and give us strength and discernment. Most Holy Theotokos, pray to God for us!”

The fire comes amid a broader pattern of church fires and vandalism reported across Canada in recent years. It occurred on the evening of September 30, Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which honors the children who attended residential schools and the Indigenous communities affected by that system.

A 2026 statement in Parliament cited 123 Christian churches burned or vandalized over the previous five years, while other reports have put the number at more than 130 since 2021. In nearby Loon Lake, Saskatchewan, St. George Anglican Church was destroyed by fire in September 2024, around the time of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation; the RCMP later determined that fire was arson. These incidents have had varying causes, and the circumstances of the Meadow Lake fire remain under investigation.

Previously, the UOJ reported that an Akhiok Orthodox Parish, which had been destroyed by fire twice, celebrated 100 years.