Barrie church officials seek to rebuild after deliberate fire destroys over a century of history
The police investigation into the destruction of portions of a landmark church in Barrie is ongoing with St. Andrew's Presbyterian officials looking ahead to restoration efforts.
According to Mark Hoffman, the chair of the church's board of managers, there is a lot of cleaning up to be done.
"But it's certainly going to survive," Hoffman said.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The recovery efforts are in the early stages after a deliberately-set fire in the church's Christian education wing and library destroyed much of its history dating back well over a century.
"We have the original doors from this building that date back 160 years, and sometime ago, when we converted the doors, we were able to reuse those and repurpose them, and they are closet doors in the library, and they are charred now," Hoffman noted.
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Barrie, Ont. is damaged from a fire on Sun., Feb 19, 2023 (CTV News/Catalina Gillies)
A 37-year-old man faces arson charges in connection with the fire late Sunday evening.
The investigation is being led by the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office, with assistance from Barrie Fire.
According to Tim Donis, the Chief Fire Prevention Officer, all the necessary data has been collected after a systematic search of the scene.
While the main structure wasn't directly impacted, the building is completely off-limits and has been turned over to the insurance company for inspection.
Officials will discuss alternative locations for holding services until the church reopens, and said they have been overwhelmed with support from the community.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.