New Kiew Church in Ruins Following Suspicious Fire

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

Two Hills Fire Rescue is asking residents to keep an eye out for any strange vehicles in the area following two fires in the county that occurred on July 24 and 25.

occurred back to back. They also asked residents to be mindful of any vehicles they may recognize, but are seeing in odd places at odd times of the day or night.

The message went on to state, “We would also ask if you could check any security camera or trail cam footage you may have, around the time frames given, for any suspicious activity or traffic either recent or from the April dates.”

“On the evening of July 24, 2020, at 23:42 (11:42 pm) Two Hills Fire was dispatched to an abandoned structure fire at RR133 and Twp Rd 542. The structure was fully involved and subsequently lost. While attend- ing the ongoing fire, 911 dispatch received a call indicating the possibility of a second structure fire just south of the ongoing fire. A visual confirmation was made and Two Hills Fire Rescue was then dispatched at 01:05 am July 25, 2020, to Range Road 133 and Twp Rd 540, (Warwick Road) this being the location of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church or New Kiew Church as known by locals.

Two Hills Fire Rescue would like to extend our sincerest condolences to the families affected by these cowardly, despicable acts. The sadness at the loss of this historic landmark is felt by many.

Both of these fires are now under investigation by fire and RCMP. Please contact the Two Hills RCMP at 780-657- 2760 or 780-657-2760 after hours if you notice anything suspicious, or if you have any information regarding these crimes.”

Brad Straty, Regional Fire Chief for the County of Two Hills was at the church site Monday morning, (July 27). Straty is a trained and certified fire investigator and said it was his first visit out to the site. He went on to say, no evidence was left behind by the arsonist so there isn’t much to go on at this point.

Straty said what he finds disturbing is that it is the first time the arsonist has burned down something of value. He said the church is still used and there is a “significant dollar loss” to the church which was built in 1946.

He also pointed out that the church is located three miles west of where a rash of arson fires set. He said those files remain open and are still under investigation.

For parishioners Jim and Hedi Sokalski, the church was not only a historic landmark, for them and other families in the community they had a deep personal connection to the church.

In fact, six generations of the Sokalski clan celebrated masses and other special events at the church. Jim, like his father and grandfather before, were altar servers, and later Jim’s children served in that capacity, and in other ways as well. Three of their four children were married in the church. Up until 1999, they held regular masses at the church. After that, they held an annual mass and opened for weddings and funerals. Polish immigrants first settled in the area in 1901. Mass was celebrated in the home of Jan Baczinski for six years before he donated two acres of land to build the original church on. That church was completed in 1918. To better serve residents a larger church, (New Kiew) was constructed in 1945 and opened in 1946.