The increase in arson attacks against religious institutions in 2021 was likely due to announcements around potential unmarked burials at former residential school sites, according to a new report by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI).
The report, released April 24, represents the first empirical investigation of the spike in arson attacks on religious institutions in Canada since 2021. Author economist Edgardo Sepulveda said statistical analysis of the incidents found the increase in arson attacks was “not religiously motivated.”
The report noted less than 4 percent of the arson incidents over the 2021-23 period have resulted in charges, despite the severity of the crime. It suggested the failure of law enforcement to “effectively investigate and prosecute arsonists” as well as a lack of government response, poses a “significant threat to Indigenous reconciliation efforts in Canada.”…