On June 9, St. Anne’s Anglican Church in Toronto’s Little Portugal neighbourhood was substantially damaged by fire. The church was designated as a National Historic Site in 1997, in part due to its unique collection of murals that included rare examples of religious-themed Group of Seven artwork.
A historian characterized the fire as a “catastrophe for Canadian architecture, Canadian art and Canadian heritage.”
When I visited the site of the fire on the day after the blaze, it was difficult to take in the sight of the fire-ravaged church. Bystanders were struggling to make meaning of the profound loss, and clergy displaced by the fire were on the streets to provide solace.
