Canada's Conservative Party leader, Pierre Poilievre, has raised concerns about anti-Christian violence following the alleged arson of the historic Saint-Simon church in New Brunswick.
Authorities responded to the fire at the Saint-Simon church last week, but the more than 100-year-old building was already engulfed in flames and is considered a total loss. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested Gilles Mallet, 68, charging him with arson. The RCMP has not yet released a suspected motive for the fire.
Poilievre stated that "one hundred churches have been burned" and asserted that "Christians may be the number one group that are victims of hate-based violence." He emphasized that Canadians of all faiths "deserve to worship in peace."
This is not the first time the issue of anti-Christian violence has become a point of contention between the Conservative and Liberal parties. Poilievre has previously accused Liberal Party politicians of downplaying such incidents. A report from the conservative media organization True North in 2025 cataloged 123 instances of church arsons or vandalism since 2021. In response to Conservative MPs citing this figure, Liberal MP John-Paul Danko accused them of "repeating conspiracy theories" and suggested the government should focus on "real hate crimes" affecting Jewish communities.
Conservative MP Andrew Lawton countered, stating on X that he would "always stand up against real hate and defend free speech."
According to official Canadian government data, there were 463 arsons at religious institutions between 2016 and 2023, though no specific figure tracks arsons exclusively at churches.
In 2024, Conservative MPs introduced a bill that proposed a minimum five-year sentence for first-time offenders convicted of burning places of worship and a minimum seven-year sentence for repeat offenders. The bill's progress stalled in January 2025 following former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation and the subsequent suspension of Canada's parliament.
The Saint-Simon church was believed to be the largest wooden church in New Brunswick and served as a significant landmark for the local Catholic community. The fire occurred in the early morning hours, and fortunately, the church was empty at the time, with no injuries reported.