Suspicious fire destroys church south of Edmonton
A church was destroyed in a New Year's Eve fire near the village of Hay Lakes southeast of Edmonton.
First responders arrived at St. Joseph Lutheran Church around 11:30 p.m. to find the building "completely engulfed in flames."
St. Joseph Lutheran Church was destroyed by a fire on Dec. 31, 2022. (Dave Mitchell/CTV News Edmonton)
"Despite efforts of the first responders, the church was completely burned," Wetaskiwin RCMP said in a release on Thursday.
The fire was intentionally set, police said.
The church was originally built in 1915 and was moved to the new foundation in 1950, where it stood for another 72 years.
"Main concern is no one was hurt, but at the same time it’s a lot of history loss…a lot of the community around here has been involved for generations," said Hay Lakes Fire Chief Bryce Wolfe.
"What is the motive…for burning down a church?"
St. Joseph Lutheran Church was destroyed by a fire on Dec. 31, 2022. (Dave Mitchell/CTV News Edmonton)
Anyone with information about the suspicious fire is asked to call Mounties at 780-312-7200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.3960391.1554513210!/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpeg)
Woman dies at Rolling Stones concert in Vancouver
A woman attending the Rolling Stones concert at BC Place died Friday night, police confirmed.
Terrorism charges laid against B.C. woman who married ISIS fighter
A B.C. woman who was repatriated from a Syrian prison camp in 2022 has been arrested and charged with terrorism offences, police announced Saturday.
Jon Landau, Oscar-winning 'Titanic' and 'Avatar' producer, dies at 63
Jon Landau, an Oscar-winning producer who worked closely with director James Cameron on three of the biggest blockbusters of all time, 'Titanic' and two 'Avatar' films, has died. He was 63.
This Italian vacation hotspot is turning tourists away as it runs out of water
Set atop a hill on the Italian island of Sicily, Agrigento is a heritage tourist’s paradise. But the aqueduct, and others built in modern times, are running so dry that small hotels and guesthouses in the city and nearby coast are being forced to turn tourists away.
Here are some safety tips if you're travelling alone this summer
Though travelling by yourself can be scary and intimidating, there are some ways to make sure you’re safe and have a good time, says a solo travel and content creator from Ottawa.
ANALYSIS Why are Trudeau and Singh avoiding Stampede this year?
This year, only Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be saddling up for the event, while both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh will stay away.
Radio host who interviewed Biden says aides provided questions in advance
U.S. President Joe Biden’s team provided a list of questions to a radio host who interviewed the president this week in the aftermath of his debate performance, the host told CNN.
Saskatoon man charged for leaving hate comments on woman’s obituary pleads guilty
The man who left hate comments on a murder victim’s online obituary has been sentenced.
Alleged accomplice of Quebec gang leader Dave 'Pic' Turmel arrested in B.C.
Another alleged accomplice of the leader of the Blood Family Mafia (BFM), Dave 'Pic' Turmel, has been arrested by the RCMP.