The McDougall Memorial United Church, a 142 year old structure near Morley, was reduced to a charred frame in a Monday morning fire that prompted an RCMP investigation.
Rocky View County fire crews responded to the church, located approximately 25 kilometres west of Cochrane, at approximately 4:00 a.m. and encountered flames engulfing the building.
“Early this morning I got the phone call from our contact person who is in contact with the fire department,” said Ron Moore, president of the McDougall Stoney Mission Society. “The chief informed her that the building had been destroyed by fire, suspected arson but that’s not confirmed yet.”
Moore, the great grandson of Reverend John McDougall who built the church in 1875, says it’s unlikely the Victoria Day fire was an accident.
“There’s no power, no electricity in the building,” said Moore. “No heating either so it’s fairly obvious somebody set it.”
The future of the church, which Moore considers to be “an iconic site for the MD here and the history of southern Alberta”, is uncertain.
“It is a provincial historical site so there are regulations regarding restoration or what happens to the site now,” said Moore. “I would really like to see it restored or a replica put up of it.”
According to RCMP officials, the exact cause of the Monday morning fire remains under investigation.
