#Canada #NB – A century-old wooden church that stood as a central landmark in a small Acadian Peninsula community burned to the ground early Monday morning, with fire officials treating the blaze as suspicious.
The Saint-Simon Catholic Church, long regarded as the largest wooden church in New Brunswick, was completely destroyed after flames erupted in the early hours of August 24, 2026. Firefighters from Caraquet, Bertrand, and Shippagan responded to an alarm around 3:30 a.m. but were unable to save the structure.
Caraquet Fire Chief Luc Dugas reported that motion detectors registered activity inside the church near 3:20 a.m., followed by the fire alarm. When crews arrived, flames had already spread through the sacristy at the rear of the building. “At this time, we believe someone would have set the fire,” Dugas said. He noted that once the fire reached the roof and the heavily varnished wooden interior, containment became impossible due to the sheer amount of combustible material.
Approximately 40 firefighters battled the intense blaze for hours. The fire was largely extinguished by mid-morning, though crews continued working hotspots into the afternoon. Only a portion of the foundation and an unused brick chimney remained. Heat from the flames damaged four neighbouring homes, as well as a community hall and a cottage. No injuries were reported.
The church, designed by Acadian architect Nazaire Dugas and constructed between 1910 and 1920, had long served as a gathering place for baptisms, weddings, funerals, and community events. It had recently hosted concerts and recitals as part of local festivals. Residents expressed profound grief. One local, Monique Albert Léger, who was married in the church and had her child baptized there, described it as “our heart, it’s our lungs, it’s the center of our village.”
Caraquet Mayor Bernard Theriault called the loss a tragedy, noting the church’s importance to a community that had already seen the closure of its school, credit union, and co-op store in recent years. Bishop Michel Proulx of the Diocese of Bathurst confirmed the building was insured but said it was too early to discuss reconstruction. He emphasized supporting the community’s ability to continue gathering.
The RCMP and the Office of the Fire Marshal launched an investigation, which included a dog team at the scene. Officials noted this was the second church in the region destroyed by fire in a decade; the Bas-Caraquet church burned in 2018. The investigation remains ongoing.
Cover Image: Saint-Simon Catholic Church in Caraquet, New Brunswick.
Update: Later on August 24, 2026, RCMP identified 68-year-old Gilles Mallet of Saint-Simon as a person of interest early in the investigation and arrested him the same day. He appeared in Bathurst Provincial Court that Monday and was charged with arson.
The New Brunswick Office of the Fire Marshal determined the fire was intentionally set. The church was unoccupied at the time and is considered a total loss. Mallet was remanded into custody, with a bail hearing scheduled for August 28, 2026.
Police have not publicly stated a motive. The investigation remains ongoing, and RCMP continue to ask anyone with information (or who was in the area at the time) to contact Caraquet RCMP or Crime Stoppers.
