On June 12, 2021 St. John’s of the Tuscaroras, a 204 year old piece of history, was damaged by fire

On my return road trip from Brantford, I visited the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, where a historic church caught my attention as I drove by. It was St. John’s Church, founded in 1817 and relocated to its current site in 1884. I also learned that there are burial sites behind the church, though no visible monuments mark them.

Established in 1817, the church is now designated a chapel of ease under the Anglican Church’s Huron Diocese. This designation means that, while the building no longer functions as a regular parish church, it remains open for special services throughout the year.

As I approached, I soon discovered that the building had been damaged by fire. Much of the bell tower was destroyed, and the more recently installed plastic siding had melted — a disturbing sight.

Later, I learned that the church had been the target of arson in 2021, likely motivated by anger following the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential schools. This tragedy was part of a broader series of church fires across Canada after the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School.