OPINION: By June 2021, reports of arson and vandalism surged. A CBC investigation tallied at least 33 churches burned to the ground since May 2021, with 24 confirmed as arson and charges laid in nine cases. Many were on Indigenous lands or in rural areas, and while not all perpetrators were caught, the timing pointed to backlash against the churches’ historical role in running about 70% of residential schools.
Alberta, with its large Indigenous population and history of residential schools like Blue Quills and Ermineskin, became a hotspot. In Morinville, just north of Edmonton, the 114-year-old St. Jean Baptiste Church – a cornerstone of the Francophone community – was reduced to ashes in a suspicious blaze on June 30, 2021. Premier Jason Kenney called it a “violent hate crime targeting the Catholic community.” That same month, a church on the Siksika Nation east of Calgary was damaged by fire.
The arsons continued. In 2023, an 18-year-old was charged in attacks on six churches near Ponoka, central Alberta. A historic 121-year-old Catholic church in northern Alberta burned down that May. In the Calgary area alone, 12 churches were targeted in 2021. By 2024, arsons had surged again, with Statistics Canada data linking many to the ongoing residential school narrative. A map circulating on social media showed Alberta with a disproportionate share of the 123 churches burned or vandalized nationwide since 2021.
Indigenous leaders, including some survivors, condemned the violence, noting it harmed communities and distracted from healing. Yet, the fires persisted, symbolizing unresolved grief – and, critics argue, a direct consequence of inflammatory claims without full verification.
The Search for Evidence: Billions Spent, But No Bodies Unearthed
Trudeau’s government responded with unprecedented funding. Through the Residential Schools Missing Children Community Support Fund, over $246 million has been allocated to Indigenous communities for GPR surveys, excavations, and memorials as of March 2025. Additional commitments pushed totals beyond $321 million, including $83 million specifically for burial searches. Provinces like Alberta added millions more.
Despite this, excavations have yielded scant results. At Kamloops, no remains have been exhumed or confirmed as of September 2024. A 2023 dig at Pine Creek in Manitoba found no bodies after four weeks. Across sites, GPR anomalies – often cited as “graves” – have proven to be tree roots, drainage ditches, or unrelated disturbances upon limited digging. As of December 2025, only one site (St. Joseph’s in Fort Resolution, NWT) has confirmed remains based on radar and dogs; partial excavations elsewhere found none.
A 2025 Angus Reid poll found 63% of Canadians want exhumations for proof before accepting claims. Critics, including historians in the book Grave Error, argue the narrative overstated GPR findings, leading to a “moral panic” without substantiation. Some discoveries highlight real tragedies – but not the mass, clandestine burials implied.
An Economic Undercurrent: Land, Resources, and Reparations
Beneath the emotional narrative, some see economic incentives. The residential school story bolsters calls to repudiate colonial doctrines like the Doctrine of Discovery, which justified European claims over Indigenous lands. This aligns with ongoing land claims and treaty disputes, where unresolved issues could grant Indigenous groups greater control over vast resources – including Alberta’s oil sands, pipelines, and forestry.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action urge reconciling Indigenous and Crown land rights, potentially invalidating established titles. Recent court rulings, like a 2025 decision redistributing land rights, reflect this shift. Funding for grave searches – often tied to broader reconciliation efforts – has flowed amid hundreds of unsettled claims, potentially leveraging historical grievances for economic leverage in resource projects. In Alberta, where energy drives the economy, this narrative could amplify Indigenous vetoes over developments, reshaping billions in investments.
The Carney Connection: A Family Tie to the System
Adding a layer of intrigue is Mark Carney, former Bank of Canada governor and UN climate envoy, whose father, Robert J. Carney, was deeply involved in northern education. Bob Carney served as principal of the Joseph Burr Tyrrell day school in Fort Smith, NWT, from 1962 – a federal Indian day school where residential school boarders also attended. Later, as NWT Superintendent of Schools and a University of Alberta professor, he advocated for Indigenous education but defended aspects of the system, viewing it as beneficial for assimilation.
Survivors recall him fondly as a “great” principal, but his role in a system now labeled genocidal raises questions. Mark Carney, who has distanced himself from his father’s views, should – more than most Canadians – provide transparency on Bob’s experiences. As a public figure influencing policy, his family’s history underscores the need for nuanced accountability in this debate.
A Path Forward: Truth Over Narrative
Alberta’s churches, like those in Morinville and Ponoka, stand as charred reminders of unchecked claims. With billions spent and arsons raging, Canadians – Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike – deserve evidence, not echoes. True reconciliation demands excavating facts, not fanning flames for economic or political gain. As protests continue and land battles loom, the province must lead in seeking verifiable truth to heal divides.
