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| A Sikh temple on Townshipline Road was destroyed by fire early this morning (Thursday) |
| John Van Putten |
August 26, 2010: An Abbotsford Sikh temple destroyed by fire early this morning (Thursday) has a history that dates back to the 1940s, when it was a small prairie chapel.
The blaze, which occurred at 31957 Townshipline Road on Matsqui Prairie, has been deemed suspicious by investigators with the Abbotsford Police and Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service (AFRS).
Area resident Doug Rennie, 82, who still lives on the same dairy farm on which he was born and raised, said he was surprised to see the destruction.
"It's kind of a landmark here ... I'm kind of sad to see it go," he said, as he stopped at the scene.
Rennie said the one-storey structure was built in the 1940s and used to be known as the Gifford Chapel. His two sons purchased it about six years ago as an investment and sold it about a year later to the Sant Baba Vasakha Singh Sikh Society.
The building has since been used as a Sikh worship centre with a residence for the priest. It is on the same property as the Gurmat Center Preschool, which once operated as Glenmore School. Rennie said he attended the school 75 years ago.
Lieut. Keith Dyck of AFRS said the Sikh temple was unoccupied at the time of the fire, which occurred at about 4 a.m. Thursday.
He said the priest was away on vacation, and the holy scriptures had been removed for safe keeping in his absence. However, numerous other religious artifacts and symbols were destroyed.
Dyck said the blaze started in the back of the building, where the worship area was located. That portion of the building was completely caved in, while the front of the building – the priest's residence – was still standing, although it was gutted.
Dyck said the exact cause is still under investigation, and the fire is not believed to be linked to other arsons that have occurred in Abbotsford this year.
Abbotsford Police Const. Ian MacDonald said the investigation will be continued based on evidence gathered from the scene and witness statements.
A spokesperson for the Sant Baba Vasakha Singh Sikh Society could not be reached for comment on Thursday.