Abbotsford News reports that a fire completely destroyed a rural Sikh gurdwara at about 4 am on Thursday morning August 26, 2010, at 31957 Townshipline Road near Matsqui Prairie in Abbotsford BC. The 70 year old gurdwara building, formerly Gifford Chapel, was purchased between 2003- 2005 by the Sant Baba Vasakha Singh Sikh Society. A school building on the property has operated since as the Gurmat Center preschool.
The fire apparently broke out in the rear of the gurdwara where services were held. All that remains of the worship hall is a blackened rubble of collapsed roof and charred walls. Flames spread towards the front of the building where the granthi (priest) living quarters were located leaving only a sooty shell. No injuries occurred as no was on the premises at the time of the fire. The Guru Granth Sahib, (Sikhism's Holy Scripture), is apparently escaped harm having been previously removed from the worship hall, as the former resident granthi was no longer in attendance and had not yet been replaced.
Authorities are calling the fire suspicious and arson investigation is underway.
Abbotsford News Story With Photo
Thankfully, no one was hurt in this fire but, the fact that arson is suspected, just upsets me so much. That people can commit this kind of crime that can have the potential to cause such devastating harm and loss of life to so many people is beyond belief. That it was committed against a religious site makes me think it was a hate crime and I cannot understand this, either. Would that our world were free of this kind of thing.