Vacant Winnipeg church hit with 4th fire since October 2021, on night before Orthodox Christmas
'We are reminded that the church is the people and not the building,' says Stephanie Sarlakis
Instead of cementing the final preparations for celebrating Orthodox Christmas with family and friends, members of a Winnipeg church were seeking updates on a fire in the city's Point Douglas neighbourhood.
The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded to a fire at the vacant Holy Ascension Greek Orthodox Church on Euclid Avenue, just east of Main Street, around 6:15 p.m. Monday, according to a news release from the City of Winnipeg.
Upon arrival, crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the structure, and they launched an exterior fire attack because the building was not safe to enter, the city said.
"When we're supposed to be celebrating with our families, we're kind of all glued to our phones and watching this unfold again," Stephanie Sarlakis said in an interview.
It's the fourth time the building has suffered water or heat damage from a fire since October 2021, according to the city. The building also sustained damage from fires in November 2023 and June 2024 — the last of which, coupled with several break-ins, prompted the church's leadership to close its doors on Euclid Avenue.
Sarlakis, Holy Ascension's secretary, is saddened by the latest fire, especially with Orthodox Christmas arriving Tuesday. But having gone through the building many times over the past few months with the church's real estate agent, she saw lots of metal stripped from the inside of the building, such as piping and wires.
It was just a matter of time before the building went up in flames one more time, Sarlakis said.
"We were anticipating that as soon as it got really cold, likely people would begin getting in to try and find shelter and starting a fire to keep warm," she said. "So we're not surprised."
She's just hoping nobody was inside when the fire started.
It wasn't safe for firefighters to enter the building, with crews having to use an aerial ladder truck and handlines to apply water to the fire, according to the city.
The city says the fire is under investigation.
Challenging few years for congregation
The many fires and eventual closing of the church's doors aren't the only thing that have made the last few years trying for the small congregation of about two dozen.
Sarlakis said their priest died in 2020, and the church has brought in a priest every few months to conduct a service for the small congregation — often at someone's house since the fire last summer.
She says that has come with a mix of emotions.
"I think that it's been positive because we are reminded that the church is the people and not the building. And so that has been heartwarming in a sense that ... the church can continue to exist without the traditional building," Sarlakis said.
"And then, on the other hand, it is bittersweet because we were located in that building for more than 40 years. It's just kind of like closing a chapter and kind of figuring out like what our next steps are."
The building was up for sale, and the church was waiting for a pending sale to go through, but she knows the latest fire will throw a wrench in those plans.
Sarlakis says they were hoping to use the money from the sale of the building to help with making their next decision.
"But I guess we'll have to wait and see," she said.
WATCH | Former Holy Ascension Greek Orthodox Church building goes up in flames again:
It's expected that fire crews will be on scene throughout Monday night.
Freezing temperatures are creating challenging conditions for firefighters, with the area around the scene being ice-covered and slippery. Crews are being rotated in and out of operations as required to provide them with breaks from the cold, the city said.
Road closures in the area will remain in place until work is completed at the scene.
Residents are advised to use caution in the area, as water used to fight the fire will be frozen, creating slippery conditions.
Crews also responded to a fire on Selkirk Avenue, between Main and Charles streets, just before 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Damage estimates are not available at this time, and that fire is under investigation.
The city said it's unknown if the two fires are connected.
Anyone who sees someone actively entering a vacant building, or removing boards from windows or doors from a building, is asked to call 911 to report the incident immediately.
The city is asking anyone who notices boarded windows or doors that have been breached, but do not see someone actively entering or trying to enter the building, to report the incident to 311 by phone or online.
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