Historic church building burns down near Redberry Lake

A historical Polish Roman Catholic Church building near Redberry Lake burned down Thursday afternoon.

The site is just under an hour east of the Battlefords.

The fire follows a string of church-burning incidents across the country, coinciding with the recent discoveries of unmarked graves at residential school sites in British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

There was no immediate comment from law enforcement on the cause of the blaze but images captured of the scene shows the blaze spreading quickly.

According to Lenore Swystun, who is related to the family who looked after the building and provided video to media outlets, the church was a historic landmark for the area.

“It’s sad,” she said. “The landmark is gone. Unbelievable.”

A former Polish Roman Catholic church near Redberry Lake burned down early this afternoon. Video courtesy of Lenore Swystun. pic.twitter.com/5Ojdbqdg4c

— Joshua Ryan (@JoshRyanSports) July 8, 2021

The church had reportedly stood for at least a century and had been repaired in recent years.

No statement from law enforcement has been released at this time.