Police investigate suspicious fire at Saanich church
Saanich police and fire investigators are looking into a suspicious fire at a church in the Royal Oak area Monday.
Police at the scene said the fire happened sometime overnight at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at 701 Mann Ave.
Staff with the church called police after they noticed the fire damage around 10 a.m. Monday morning.
The fire occurred sometime overnight between Nov. 20 and Nov. 21, 2022. (CTV News)
The fire appears to have originated at the entrance to the chapel of the Mormon church. The glass doors leading into the building were blackened with soot and the heat from the flames shattered some panes of glass.
"There is a table in there that was very close to the front doors that could have caught fire," said Saanich police Const. Markus Anastasiades on Monday.
"Fortunately it did not, so it seems at this point the fire was contained just to the outside and the front doors," he said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and fire investigators along with members of the Saanich police forensic section were collecting evidence at the scene Monday.
"It's still very early on in the investigation but I can tell you at this point that we are treating this as suspicious," said Anastasiades.
Anyone with information on the fire is asked to contact Saanich police.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Canadian-Israeli man shot dead in Egypt; claim links killing to Gaza
A Canadian man 'of Jewish Israeli descent' has been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a suspected criminal case, a security source said, while a previously unknown militant group said it carried out the attack in reaction to the war in Gaza.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.