York Region communities gather to support victims of Quebec mosque attack
Hastily-organized vigils let residents show they care

Yorkregion.com
Feb. 3, 2017
By Kim Zarzour

All across York Region, people are gathering.

On Wednesday night, they met at the Markham Civic Centre and in a Stouffville parking lot.

Tonight, they gather for a candlelight vigil at Riverwalk Commons in Newmarket.

Tomorrow afternoon, they join at Aurora Cultural Centre, then Sunday morning at Langstaff Community Centre in Richmond Hill and Sunday evening St. Luke’s Roman Catholic Parish in Thornhill.

Average residents upset by appalling news.

These gatherings are hastily-called, but heartfelt - spontaneous expressions of a community’s pain that Fran Isaacs believes are necessary.

“Everyone is just aghast that this would happen here,” said the co-chair of Mosaic Interfaith, referring to the shooting at a Quebec City mosque.

“People want to be able to do something, but they don’t know what, and so this just seems to be a way to help.”

Isaacs is part of a group organizing the Sunday night gathering in Thornhill that will see leaders from a variety of faiths sharing prayers, words of inspiration and encouragement (and later, coffee, cookies and conversation for all).

“We see it in the news all the time but it’s astounding to see it here in Canada and we know we don’t want to go down that road,” she says.

“People are saying ‘this is not me’, and this is a way to show it, by being present at these gatherings.”

Coming together as neighbours and Canadians shows support for Muslims and the Quebec congregation, she says, and it shows we don’t believe in hatred.

“It sends a strong message that this is not what Canada is about.”

Natalie Doucet sees the gatherings as a sign of hope.

The pastoral associate at St. Luke’s Parish says the pervasiveness of today’s bad news can cause people to feel helpless. Vigils and gatherings bring empowerment.

“We don’t have control of the bigger global picture but we can do what we can in our own backyard...to fight the helplessness by coming together, showing that we have each other’s backs and that violence does not have the last word; love does.”

 

WANT TO JOIN IN?

Candlelight Vigil
Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m.
Riverwalk Commons
200 Doug Duncan Dr., Newmarket

Interfaith Service of Prayer and Solidarity
Feb. 4, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Aurora Cultural Centre,
22 Church Street, Aurora

Unity and Harmony Vigil
Feb. 5, 10 a.m.
Langstaff Community Centre
155 Red Maple Rd., Richmond Hill

Mosaic Interfaith Gathering in Solidarity with the Muslim Community
Feb. 5, 4 to 5 p.m.
St. Luke’s Roman Catholic Parish
39 Green Lane, Thornhill