A historic piece of artwork has been lost in a fire that destroyed much of a downtown Toronto church on Sunday.
Emergency crews were called to St. Anne’s Anglican Church on Gladstone Avenue just before 8 a.m. The blaze, which has since been elevated to a four-alarm fire, has caused significant structural damage and destroyed much of the roof.
The scene of a fire at St. Anne’s Church in Toronto can be seen above. (CP24)
No injuries have been reported.
The church was built between 1907 and 1908, and was designated a heritage easement by the City of Toronto in 1996.
According to its website, the church contains the only known religious works of art by the Group of Seven, alongside other notable paintings.
In an update Sunday afternoon, Father Don Beyers, a priest at the church, told reporters that it appears the Group of Seven artwork had been destroyed.
Crews are battling a fire at St. Anne’s Church in Toronto on Sunday. (CP24)
“This is the only church that featured artwork by members of the Group of Seven, and I’m sorry to say, but that’s been lost from what I can see,” he said.
“…This is incredibly devastating for my congregation, it’s devastating for this community, I cannot express how far-reaching [the impacts] this church fire is.”
Police say to expect delays in the area and use alternative routes, as Gladstone Ave is closed between College and Dundas street while crews continue to put out the fire.
“At this point our focus, our primary focus, is to make sure we knock down the remaining bulk of the fire and the hotspots, that we don’t allow it to spread, and the investigation will follow our normal systematic-scientific approach,” Deputy Chief Jim Jessop told media.
Jessop said that the investigation will begin this afternoon, however it is “way too early” to speculate the cause of the fire.