Media, Politicians Don’t Care Much That 50+ Churches In Canada Have Been Vandalized Or Set On Fire Since May

Over the past few months, Canada has had a series of attacks on churches, and the response from politicians and the Canadian media has largely been a big yawn.

The vandalism and arson have come in response to the announcement that unmarked graves were detected near a residential school in British Columbia on Canada’s west coast.

Residential schools were boarding schools for indigenous children that were intended to educate and assimilate them into Canadian society. They lasted in Canada from the 17th century to the 1990s and were mainly run by churches, particularly the Catholic church. In the 1880s, the federal government got involved to standardize the schools, and, wanting to keep the costs as low as possible, underfunded them.

There were reasons that assimilation was the goal in the 17th Century.

Canadian government policy at the time was clear: The goal was to assimilate the First Nations into the rest of Canadian society. That meant training them in agriculture and Western trades. It meant dressing them in Western clothing and teaching them English.

When European settlers arrived in modern British Columbia, the tribes who lived there still practiced chattel slavery — something their woke champions might be surprised to learn. Sometimes, at their potlatch gatherings, great chiefs murdered slaves to show their wealth. In at least a handful of places, ritual cannibalism was an occasional practice.

The above does not justify what the Canadian government did, but it explains their thinking. They were faced with primitive and alien societies, some of which still followed horrifying practices. More than once, European settlers of the Americas handled tribes by practically exterminating them. In Canada, their solution was to assimilate them.

Source: The Federalist

It was often the case that children at these schools suffered from serious illness and disease, malnutrition, and some suffered physical and/or sexual abuse. While the intention was to help bring the indigenous people into the larger Canadian society, the result was isolating them from their families, culture, language, and traditions, as well as some atrocious accounts of abuse. Between the 1920s and the 1950s, the death rate of children at residential schools was two to four times higher than the already high mortality rate in children in the general Canadian population at the same time.

Some of the accounts of residential schools just seemed cold — like the story told by Phyllis Webstad about her new orange shirt that was taken from her on the first day at a residential school in the early 1970s. The color orange has now been associated with opposition to residential schools and support for indigenous Canadians.

In the spring, it was reported that 215 graves were found using ground-penetrating radar during a survey of the grounds near a residential school in British Columbia. This technology is being used to find more graves at more residential schools.

Since then, more reports of hundreds of graves near other residential schools have been found. After the initial report, 182 graves were found on another site, and over 750 in another location.

That sounds awful, doesn’t it? Sounds like genocide or the churches covering up blatant abuse, right?

Well, here’s the thing about that… these are not “mass graves” like the Cambodian genocide, these were gravesites that were known. There is no evidence that the deaths were a result of intentional abuse, but the media has presumed that.

There was an entire report about these cemeteries where graves were often marked with wooden markers, but neglect, fire, and the simple passage of time left them “unmarked.” The graves were at the schools because the government refused to pay for the bodies to be returned to their families and they were marked with wood because, again, the government refused to pay for proper headstones.

Canada has long had difficulties with its relationship with the First Nations peoples. In 2008, a commission was formed to look into the residential schools. Many years and millions of dollars later, a report was issued. And it’s massive. Many Canadians, apparently, didn’t read it.

In 2015, the Canadian government issued Truth & Reconciliation report that included an entire 273-page section called, “Canada’s Residential Schools: Missing Children and Unmarked Burials.”

A total of 3,201 children documented to have died, or thought to have died, at Canada’s residential schools. Thought to have died is included because records remain incomplete — some are thought to have died after running away, others were presumed dead when they did not return.

As for the cemeteries, they are there in the report.

These were not hidden cemeteries as some have wrongfully thought or implied, they were part of the whole horrid system. The schools had cemeteries because the government refused to pay to transport the bodies of students who died back to their parents.

Source: Toronto Sun

The above Toronto Sun article notes that many causes of death were Tuberculosis and Influenza — including the Spanish Flu. There was also concern by a Principal of one of the schools back in 1914 when the school was scheduled to be closed that the cemetery on the grounds where 70 to 80 former students were interred would be “overrun by stray cattle” if the government didn’t step in and take care of the cemetery.

Here’s an excellent video summary of the situation:

But you only get that kind of reportage from right-of-center media in Canada, and that’s few and far between.

The atrocious reporting of the situation was what spurred the anti-Christian attacks on churches, and the media doesn’t seem to be quick at correcting the errors.

Canadian public figures — including government officials — have made some incredibly irresponsible comments since the vandalism began.

The Executive Director of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, Harsha Walia tweeted “burn it all down” after the first arson spree.

The executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association is cheering on the arsonists who have been burning and vandalizing churches every night. She wants them to “burn it all down”. https://t.co/KJS5XFxGsG pic.twitter.com/QQxAb6Aezq

— Ezra Levant ? (@ezralevant) July 4, 2021

She was forced to resign.

Gerald Butts, former top advisor and long-time best buddy of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had defended Walia’s tweet saying that calling for the burning down churches was “understandable.”

No Terry, it is not. Though it may be understandable.

— Gerald Butts (@gmbutts) July 6, 2021

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau didn’t run in front of a camera to comment as he is wont to do when Muslims are the targets of hate, his comments came after reporters got around to asking him about the spate of arson attacks in early July. “It is unacceptable and wrong that acts of vandalism and arson are being seen across the country, including against Catholic churches,” Trudeau said. But then added, “The anger … is real. People have gone decades and even generations living with intergenerational trauma, with outcomes and institutional racism that has created extreme difficulties for Indigenous peoples across this country that are also the legacy of residential schools.”

Here is the result of that kind of talk:

Having a hard time processing this right now. The historic & beautiful St Jean Baptist’s parish in Morinville burned to the ground last night. pic.twitter.com/A0LvlkhwbL

— Neil Korotash ? (@nkorotash) June 30, 2021

This one wasn’t a church that was in use, but a heritage site.

The razing of this church is symbolic of the end of Canada’s high trust society.

This church was left unlocked and open to the public, a museum that was a gift to the community, a place to see and feel the history of its people.

Aliens took that trust and turned it to ash. pic.twitter.com/IbH5siOVg2

— Wolfish ☨ (@WolfishHead) July 9, 2021

Meanwhile, Indigenous leaders have been extremely vocal in their condemnation of the attacks.

These are likely the work of leftist “allies” and a handful of activist agitators.

It’s also pretty clear that the vandals don’t really give a rat’s backside about what the effect of this vandalism is — they’re just taking out their rage.

Many of these churches were heritage buildings, many on First Nations land and built by the indigenous people who lived there.

Also, some are local cemeteries that had graves of both non-indigenous Canadians alongside the First Nations peoples.

Many churches being attacked had absolutely nothing to do with residential schools.

Here are a few that were vandalized for no apparent reason.

One church that burned down was pastored by a Vietnamese refugee who wonders if it’s safer back in Vietnam.

Pastor Thai Nguyen is a Vietnamese refugee who fled to Canada for safety. Now he is saying that Vietnam is safer than Canada after his church was burned down last night by Left Wing Terrorists out for Residential School revenge. This is Trudeau’s Canada. https://t.co/WNkEQ2Dq6f pic.twitter.com/gNwjLOaZHY

— Keean Bexte (@TheRealKeean) July 5, 2021

Eleven churches — including an African Evangelical Church and a Ukrainian Orthodox church — were vandalized in Calgary, Alberta overnight on June 30 and the early morning on July 1, Canada Day. Police are currently investigating them as hate crimes.

A Coptic church was also burned to the ground in British Columbia. The Coptic Orthodox Church was established in Canada in the 1960s when Egyptian Christians fled their homeland because of persecution including…church burning. The Coptic Church split from the Catholic church over 1,600 years ago.

Canada: Last week, an arson attempt was caught on video surveillance at St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey, British Columbia. This week, that same church was destroyed by a fire. Add this to a long list of churches torched in recent weeks across Canada. pic.twitter.com/MrQ7NdBbag

— Christian Emergency Alliance (@ChristianEmerg1) July 20, 2021

Suspicious fire destroys Coptic Church in Canada#SWNews #Canada #CopticChurchdestroyed #Ablaze #StGeorgeCopticOrthodoxChurch #BritishColombia #CatholicBishops #RoyalCanadianMountedPolice #Indigenouschildren #residentialschools pic.twitter.com/N5JDAxJmu4

— SW News (@shalomworldnews) July 21, 2021

The vandalism doesn’t seem to show signs of disappearing anytime soon. Vancouver police say that there has been an “escalation” of threats and vandalism against churches recently.

The anti-Christian sentiment continues apace. Meanwhile, the Trudeau Government is holding two summits on Islamophobia and Antisemitism. So, when is the Anti-Christian summit going to be held? Don’t hold your breath.

Here is a map of the churches that have been vandalized:

May 12
St John’s Anglican Church, Ontario (200-year old church set on fire after being doused with gasoline)

May 31
St Joseph’s Church, British Columbia (graffiti reading “banished,” “evicted,” and “crime scene” and an “x” on the door)

June 12
St. Augustine’s Parish, British Columbia(vandalized with the word “killers” at the entrance)

June 13
St. Joseph’s Parish, British Columbia (pro-life memorial gravestone on church grounds was knocked down)

June 15
St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, Manitoba (vandals ransacked the church’s interior, smashed windows and damaged items)

June 19
Samson United Church, Alberta (fire extinguished)

June 21
St. Gregory Mission Church, British Columbia (fire was extinguished)
Sacred Heart Mission Church, British Columbia (burned down)

June 23
Horse Lake Mennonite Church, Saskatchewan (windows smashed, bricks found inside)

June 24
St. Paul Co-Cathedral, Saskatchewan (graffiti referring to residential schools on front doors with red paint)
Merciful Redeemer Parish, Ontario (anti-Catholic graffiti spraypainted on the exterior)

June 26
St. Paul’s Anglican Church, British Columbia (burned down)
Saint Ann’s Catholic Church, British Columbia (burned down)
Chopaka Catholic Church, British Columbia (burned down)
Holy Rosary Catholic Church (Polish) – Kościół Różańca Świętego, Alberta (statue of late Pope John Paul II was vandalized with red paint)
Cathedral Of St Peter-In-Chains, Ontario (eggs, tomatoes, and burnt Canadian flag was left on the steps)

June 28
Siksika First Nation Catholic Church, British Columbia (fire was extinguished)

June 30
St. Jean Baptiste Parish, Alberta (burned down)
St. Bonaventure Church, Alberta (graffiti)
St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church, Alberta (vandalized)
St. Mary’s Cathedral, Alberta (vandalized)
Sacred Heart Church & Columbarium, Alberta (statue of Jesus doused with red paint)
Grace Presbyterian Church, Alberta (vandalized)
St. Luke’s Parish, Alberta (vandalized)
Holy Trinity Church, Alberta (vandalized)
St. Anthony’s Catholic Parish, Alberta (vandalized)
All Nations Full Gospel Church, Alberta (vandalized)
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Alberta (vandalized)
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, Alberta (vandalized)
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Nova Scotia (fire was extinguished)

July 1 (Canada Day)
Co-Cathedral of St. Patrick, Northwest Territories (fire was extinguished)
St. Jude Parish, British Columbia (vandals covered the church with orange paint)
Cathedral of Mary Immaculate, British Columbia (splattered with orange paint, poster referencing genocide pasted to the 122-year old building)
Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, Ontario (graffiti with red paint)
Our Lady Queen of Poland Catholic Church (Polish) – Kosciól Matki Bozej Królowej Polski, Alberta (spraypainted by vandals)
Basilica Cathedral, Newfoundland (red paint splashed on the church, graffiti referring to residential schools)

July 2
St. Columba Church, British Columbia (fire was extinguished)
First Hamilton Christian Reformed Church, Ontario (vandals spray-painted “Your hands are unclean” in reference to the residential schools)
St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Nova Scotia (vandalized with orange handprints)

July 3
Our Lady of Peace, Alberta (Molotov cocktails caused a fire)
St. Peter and St. Paul’s Anglican Church, British Columbia (vandals attempted to dig up a statue of St. Francis, but it was too heavy to remove)

July 4
House Of Prayer Alliance Church, Alberta (fire was extinguished)
St. Matthew’s Anglican Cathedral, Manitoba (graffiti including “God is dead”)
First Presbyterian Church, Manitoba (graffiti referring to residential schools)

July 5
Johnsfield Baptist Church, Ontario (arson attempt while people were inside)
Angus Bonner Memorial United Church, Manitoba (burned to the ground)

July 8
Polish Roman Catholic Church, Saskatchewan (burned to the ground)

July 9
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, Alberta (burned to the ground)

July 10
Grace Lutheran Church, British Columbia (fire was extinguished, but burned down the garage)

July 12
Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, Ontario (statue of Mary knocked over, other statues of children destroyed)
Mount Tzouhalem Cross, British Columbia (not a church, but the cross that was erected on a mountain was cut down mysteriously)

July 19
St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, British Columbia (burned to the ground)

July 21
Central Heights Church, British Columbia (fire was extinguished)