Overview
- A wooden Catholic church in Saint-Simon, New Brunswick, was engulfed by fire and declared a total loss after flames spread through the sacristy early on Monday, Aug. 24, with no injuries reported and heat damage to nearby homes.
- The New Brunswick Office of the Fire Marshal concluded the blaze was intentionally set and the RCMP opened a criminal investigation into the destruction.
- Police arrested and charged 68-year-old Gilles Mallet of Saint-Simon with arson; he appeared in Bathurst Provincial Court, was remanded, and has a bail hearing scheduled for Friday.
- RCMP have asked anyone with information to contact their Caraquet detachment as investigators continue to gather evidence and have not publicly identified a motive or any links to other incidents.
- The fire comes against a backdrop of higher rates of attacks on religious sites in Canada since 2021, with a 2025 study and updated Statistics Canada data showing elevated arson incidents and calls for better co‑ordination among police and fire services.