Alberta
Two more historic churches in Canada set ablaze by arsonists
From LifeSiteNews
“These are absolutely despicable attacks on the Christian community”
Two historic Christian churches in Canada were intentionally set on fire late last week in what police said were suspected acts of arson.
The incident has Conservative political leaders calling for an end to “attacks” on Christianity after more than 100 churches having been targeted with arson or vandalism since 2021.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) say St. Aidan’s Church, known as Glenreagh Church, and Pioneer Church, a United Church, both located in Barrhead, a town 120 miles northwest of Alberta’s capital Edmonton, were destroyed by arson within only two hours of each other on the evening of December 7.
No one was reported to have been hurt in the fires, but both churches have been extensively damaged, likely beyond repair, despite the best efforts of the Barrhead Fire Services, which was onsite quickly.
Barrhead RCMP confirmed that an initial investigation has determined that both fires were intentionally set. However, an exact motive is not yet clear.
According to eyewitnesses on the ground, two older pickup trucks were seen fleeing the scene.
An initial investigation by fire examiners confirmed that both fires were deliberately set.
Local resident Edith Strawson, whose dad helped build St. Aidan’s Church over 100 years ago, and who got married in the church, as well as some of her kids, said, “We’re putting this back together.”
“We just can’t let that happen and just leave it,” she said as per a CTV report.
Attacks on Christianity ‘must’ stop say conservative leaders
Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) Pierre Poilievre condemned the attacks.
“These are absolutely despicable attacks on the Christian community,” Poilievre wrote Friday on X (formerly Twitter).
“Police must find and arrest the criminals responsible for setting fire to these two churches.”
These are absolutely despicable attacks on the Christian community.
Police must find and arrest the criminals responsible for setting fire to these two churches. https://t.co/ZKUHpaLrzu pic.twitter.com/c7Xxn8qMjb
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) December 8, 2023
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, the leader of the United Conservative Party, said church burnings have “no place in Alberta” and those who destroyed the churches by arson need to stand for their “crimes.”
She also confirmed that the RCMP is investigating the church fires “as suspected cases of arson.”
“Images like these have no place in Alberta,” Smith wrote Friday on X (formerly Twitter).
“To the parishioners of these churches and to the Christian community across our province, I stand in solidarity with you against all forms of hate.”
Images like these have no place in Alberta.
RCMP are investigating two churches which were destroyed by fires as suspected cases of arson.
To the parishioners of these churches and to the Christian community across our province, I stand in solidarity with you against all… pic.twitter.com/KmdQ3vc98S
— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) December 8, 2023
Smith said that the church burnings “are condemned in the strongest possible terms and those perpetrating these crimes must be brought to justice.”
“I am closely monitoring this unfolding situation along with Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis,” she added.
Since the spring of 2021, well over 100 churches, most of them Catholic, but all Christian have either been burned or vandalized across Canada. The attacks on the churches came shortly after the unconfirmed discovery of “unmarked graves” at now-closed residential schools once run by the Church in parts of the country.
In 2021 and 2022, the mainstream media ran with inflammatory and dubious claims that hundreds of children were buried and disregarded by Catholic priests and nuns who ran some of the schools.
Despite the church burnings, the federal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has done nothing substantial to bring those responsible to justice, nor to stem the root cause of the burnings.
Instead, a little over a month ago, Liberal and NDP Members of Parliament (MPs) struck down a Conservative Party of Canada motion that would have condemned incidents of church burnings and acts of vandalism.
In August of 2022, LifeSiteNews reported about the destruction by fire of one of the oldest standing Catholic churches in Alberta. Police at the time said the fire was a “suspicious” incident.
Despite the massive number of church fires in Canada, Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez in May made a brazen suggestion recently that the recent slew of anti-Christian church burnings in Canada could be remedied through further “online” internet regulation.
Those with any information on the church fires are asked to contact Barrhead RCMP at 403-780-674-4848.
From the Fraser Institute
By Tegan Hill and Austin Thompson
Next week, voters across Alberta will go to the polls to elect their local governments. Of course, while the issues vary depending on the city, town or district, all municipal governments spend taxpayer money.
And according to a recent study, Grande Prairie County and Red Deer County were among Alberta’s highest-spending municipalities (on a per-person basis) in 2023 (the latest year of comparable data). Kara Westerlund, president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta, said that’s no surprise—arguing that it’s expensive to serve a small number of residents spread over large areas.
That challenge is real. In rural areas, fewer people share the cost of roads, parks and emergency services. But high spending isn’t inevitable. Some rural municipalities managed to spend far less, demonstrating that local choices about what services to provide, and how to deliver them, matter.
Consider the contrast in spending levels among rural counties. In 2023, Grande Prairie County and Red Deer County spent $5,413 and $4,619 per person, respectively. Foothills County, by comparison, spent just $2,570 per person. All three counties have relatively low population densities (fewer than seven residents per square kilometre) yet their per-person spending varies widely. (In case you’re wondering, Calgary spent $3,144 and Edmonton spent $3,241.)
Some of that variation reflects differences in the cost of similar services. For example, all three counties provide fire protection but in 2023 this service cost $56.95 per person in Grande Prairie County, $38.51 in Red Deer County and $10.32 in Foothills County. Other spending differences reflect not just how much is spent, but whether a service is offered at all. For instance, in 2023 Grande Prairie County recorded $46,283 in daycare spending, while Red Deer County and Foothills County had none.
Put simply, population density alone simply doesn’t explain why some municipalities spend more than others. Much depends on the choices municipal governments make and how efficiently they deliver services.
Westerlund also dismissed comparisons showing that some counties spend more per person than nearby towns and cities, calling them “apples to oranges.” It’s true that rural municipalities and cities differ—but that doesn’t make comparisons meaningless. After all, whether apples are a good deal depends on the price of other fruit, and a savvy shopper might switch to oranges if they offer better value. In the same way, comparing municipal spending—across all types of communities—helps Albertans judge whether they get good value for their tax dollars.
Every municipality offers a different mix of services and those choices come with different price tags. Consider three nearby municipalities: in 2023, Rockyview County spent $3,419 per person, Calgary spent $3,144 and Airdrie spent $2,187. These differences reflect real trade-offs in the scope, quality and cost of local services. Albertans should decide for themselves which mix of local services best suits their needs—but they can’t do that without clear data on what those services actually cost.
A big municipal tax bill isn’t an inevitable consequence of rural living. How much gets spent in each Alberta municipality depends greatly on the choices made by the mayors, reeves and councillors Albertans will elect next week. And for Albertans to determine whether or not they get good value for their local tax dollars, they must know how much their municipality is spending.
Tegan Hill
Director, Alberta Policy, Fraser Institute
Austin Thompson
Alberta
Premier Smith addresses the most important issue facing Alberta teachers: Classroom Complexity
Premier Danielle Smith is posting this response to a media question about Classroom Complexity.
While Albertans are hearing a lot about capping class sizes, Premier Smith says it might be a much better idea to talk about capping “complexity”.
The challenges teachers face in today’s classrooms are recognized, and work continues toward practical solutions that address their concerns.
Achieving a fair and reasonable agreement that best supports students remains a top priority. pic.twitter.com/o4UCt7sDoU
— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) October 16, 2025
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