A Parksville church hall and its offices are a little worse for wear after they were set on fire and broken into Wednesday morning.
St. Anne & St. Edmund Anglican Church’s community hall and offices sustained significant smoke damage after it was broken into with a blow torch, which started a fire, robbed and vandalized at around 3 a.m. on June 15, according to a press release issued by the Diocese of British Columbia.
Neither the St. Anne Church building, which was built in 1894 and is among the oldest churches in B.C., nor the St. Edmund Church building was damaged and the parish does not believe they were targetted because the pattern of entry suggests a “link to several similar incidents at other businesses in the Parksville area.
However, the damage to the church hall, which is often used to host community programs, including AA meetings, youth groups and other programs, was significant enough that it will be closed to the public temporarily.
“The physical damage to the building can be repaired, but we grieve the loss of this community space in the interim. Many citizens of all ages visit the church hall weekly for meaningful programs—the temporary loss of their access to the building will be felt most deeply by them,” Bishop Anna Greenwood-Lee of the Anglican Diocese of Islands and Inlets.
St. Anne & St. Edmund Anglican Church, located on Wembley Road near Save On Foods, says Sunday worship will continue as scheduled.
Oceanside RCMP say there are no suspects at this time, and ask anyone with information to reach out to the RCMP detachment.
(Photo courtesy St. Anne & St. Edmund Anglican Church)
(Photo courtesy St. Anne & St. Edmund Anglican Church)
(Photo courtesy St. Anne & St. Edmund Anglican Church)
(Photo courtesy St. Anne & St. Edmund Anglican Church)
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