A man was arrested in New Brunswick and charged with arson after a historic church was destroyed on August 24, 2026.

St Simon Church was completely destroyed by fire, which was reported at around 4am in Saint-Simon, New Brunswick. The cause of the fire was quickly determined to be arson.

There was nobody in the church at the time, but the building has been declared a total loss, said an August 25 press release from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Authorities zeroed in on a suspect “early on in the investigation” and arrested a 68-year-old man from Saint-Simon.

“The same day, 68-year-old Gilles Mallet appeared in Bathurst Provincial Court and was charged with arson. He was remanded into custody and is scheduled to reappear in court on August 28, 2026, for a bail hearing,” said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Police are requesting any additional information from anyone who was present at the time of the fire to assist with the investigation. The investigation remains ongoing.

Bishop Michel Proulx, O Praem, of the Diocese of Bathurst, issued a statement on Tuesday after the church was destroyed.

“I was devastated this morning to learn the terrible news of the fire that completely destroyed St Simon Church. My heart goes out to Father Jean Pierre, the dedicated volunteers, the faithful parishioners, and all the citizens of St Simon,” said Bishop Proulx.

The loss of the church building “has plunged us into deep sorrow”, he said.

“So many memories are tied to this beautiful wooden church: baptisms, weddings, funerals, and so many other significant events. Several generations of Christians celebrated their faith there, and it was the precious legacy of our ancestors.”

Bishop Proulx added that he is praying for the people of St Simon.

No motive for the arson has been released by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.