Church destroyed in fire on northern Manitoba First Nation
A church on a First Nation community in northern Manitoba was destroyed in a blaze late last week.
Beverly James, the caretaker of the Roman Catholic church on God's Lake Narrows First Nation, said the fire happened in the early hours of May 6.
"I was woken up with a phone call about 5:30 in the morning," she said. James said she was told the church was engulfed in flames.
"It's a total loss," she said. "Nothing got saved. The fire spread very quickly."
The Roman Catholic church on God's Lake Narrows First Nation was destroyed by a fire on May 6, 2022. (Submitted: Beverly James)
James said she has been the caretaker of the church for around 20 years. The building, which she said was around 60 years old, was used for Sunday services for a congregation of around 10 to 15 members from the community.
God's Lake Narrows First Nation Chief Hubert Watt said no one was hurt in the fire. He said he has heard from some community members who are disappointed by the loss of the church building.
"People have been going there for years and years," he told CTV News on Saturday, adding the First Nation will be reaching out to the Roman Catholic church organization to see if it is planning to rebuild.
James said the fire is a big loss for the community members who attended the church, and fears insurance will not cover the rebuilding of the church. The Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas confirmed it was aware of the fire, but said there has been no discussions at this point regarding if the church will be rebuilt.
"I'm feeling part of my spirit died when the church engulfed in flames," James said. "I feel like I won't be able to go on any more right now. I'm still mourning. I'm still trying to pick myself up."
James said she wants to know more details as to the cause of the fire.
Watt confirmed Manitoba RCMP is investigating the fire, but he said he has not heard any updates on how the investigation is going.
Manitoba RCMP said the cause of the fire is unknown at this time, but an investigation is ongoing. RCMP said the Office of the Fire Commissioner was advised.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.