logo

Statement by Special Representative Amira Elghawaby on the Fourth Anniversary of the London Family Attack - June 6, 2025 Français

Cision Canada06-06-2025
OTTAWA, ON, June 6, 2025 /CNW/ - Today marks four years since the terrorist attack that claimed the lives of four members of the Afzaal family in London, Ontario – an act of Islamophobic hatred that shook Canadians from coast to coast to coast. It was not only an attack on one family, or community, but on our shared values as Canadians.
It is important to remember Salman, Madiha, Yumnah, and Talat, and to honour "Our London Family" by continuing the vital work of combatting Islamophobia and all forms of hate for a more inclusive Canada. We continue to hear about concerning incidents of Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab hate. One of the most recent attacks was on a Muslim woman at the Ajax Public Library where the assailant forcibly removed her hijab and attempted to set it on fire.
As Canada's Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, I remain steadfast in my commitment to supporting the federal government's efforts towards promoting inclusion, advancing safety and well-being, and protecting freedom of religion and civil liberties for all.
I have been hearing from families, community members and leaders, from a range of backgrounds and experiences who are dedicated to nurturing safer communities. They have been calling for more action to ensure that Canada is a place where everyone can be proud of who they are and free to worship as they wish. Their experiences and insights are key towards building community-informed solutions, including creating resources that can be utilized in workplaces, schools, and within community spaces.
This year, we launched a landmark resource to support these efforts: the Canadian Guide on Understanding and Combatting Islamophobia: For a more inclusive Canada, the first government-produced document of its kind.
In memory of "Our London Family", and all those who were deliberately killed in Islamophobic attacks in our country, let us recommit to advancing awareness, understanding, and hope.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu to provide update on Air Canada labour dispute
Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu to provide update on Air Canada labour dispute

Winnipeg Free Press

time14 minutes ago

  • Winnipeg Free Press

Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu to provide update on Air Canada labour dispute

OTTAWA – Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu is holding a news conference on Parliament Hill today to provide Canadians with an update on the Air Canada strike. Passengers around the world are feeling the effects after the union representing more than 10,000 flight attendants with Air Canada announced its members were walking off the job after it was unable to reach an eleventh-hour deal with the airline. The strike officially began just before 1 a.m. ET on Saturday and in turn, Air Canada locked out its agents about 30 minutes later due to the strike action. On Friday Hajdu urged the airline company and the union representing its flight attendants to get back to the negotiating table. In an interview with The Canadian Press, Hajdu said it's 'critical' that the two parties 'return to the table' to forge a deal on their own. Air Canada and business advocacy groups have called on the government to order binding arbitration to settle the dispute. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. – With files from Sammy Hudes in Toronto This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2025.

Skipping the U.S. and taking a vacation to East Coast this year? It will cost you.
Skipping the U.S. and taking a vacation to East Coast this year? It will cost you.

Global News

time3 hours ago

  • Global News

Skipping the U.S. and taking a vacation to East Coast this year? It will cost you.

In September 2024, Natasha Beitman Brener and her husband decided to take a three-week vacation to Canada's East Coast. Beitman Brener, a lawyer in Kingston, Ont., spent about six months planning the trip, looking at various options to stay in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. 'We are young, we don't have all the money in the world, we have a mortgage. So we went on this trip and we thought, 'oh, this will be affordable compared to something like Japan' . … We were going to cook our own food,' she said in a recent interview. They rented a recreational vehicle in Montreal for about $6,000, and between campground parking fees, gasoline, groceries, park passes, a round of golf, and a couple of dinners out, Beitman Brener said the total added up to $15,000. 'It was the most incredible trip. We loved it. It was worth it. It was incredible. The East Coast is so extraordinary,' she said. 'But it was $15,000 and we talked to our friend — they went to Japan for three weeks for the same price, with flights. And I said to my husband, 'well, we could have gone to Japan for the same price.'' Story continues below advertisement This year, as a trade war grinds on with the United States, Canadians who decide to vacation within their country are realizing their patriotism comes with a hefty price tag — and some are choosing to scale back their plans. For Alick Tsui, a St. John's, N.L., resident, a recent five-day, two-person trip to Port Rexton, N.L., cost him about $3,000. He is avoiding spending his dollars in the United States because of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war and comments of annexing Canada. But high prices are forcing him to cut costs for future trips in Canada. 'Before I would stay for four nights, now I may cut it down to three nights. But that won't change my plan to travel.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Tsui said he and his wife try to save money with 'economical' lunches from gas stations. 'But nighttime, we try to find whatever we can to have a good meal. Not expensive, but a good meal,' he said. The couple went to Vietnam and Thailand earlier this year for about 10 days; that trip cost about one-third the price that he usually pays for a week's vacation in Canada. Beitman Brener, meanwhile, says she wanted to take a mother-daughter vacation this month after the lawyer had some unexpected time off. The duo sought to travel within Canada on a budget of $3,000 for four nights and five days. They too are avoiding travelling to the United States. Story continues below advertisement She looked into several locations, including Quebec City and Manitoulin Island in Ontario, but — even with sharing a hotel or Airbnb room — their accommodation costs would have been about $3,000. Along with food and gas, the total would have been about $6,000, she said. They couldn't justify the cost so they chose to spend two nights at a boutique hotel in their hometown. The fact each vacation has to be planned down to every meal because of high costs has removed some of the joy of taking a spontaneous holiday in Canada, she said. A scan of individual round trip flights from Toronto to cities on the East Coast for the week of Aug. 18 -23 showed prices to Halifax ranging from around $700 for Flair Airlines to nearly $1,700 for WestJet; about $1,200 via Air Canada to $2,500 via Air Transat to St. John's; and between $1,500 and $3,000 on Air Canada to Charlottetown. A vehicle rental for five days the week of Aug. 18 -23 in Halifax, St. John's, and Charlottetown ranged from an average of $1,500 for an SUV to $1,000 for a sedan. For the week, hotel rooms in Halifax, St. John's and Prince Edward Island ranged from around $200 a night to $500. Richard Powers, associate professor at University of Toronto's Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, said two main reasons can help explain why travel within Canada is so expensive — lack of competition among airline services and fallout from COVID-19. Story continues below advertisement Airlines haven't reinstated some of routes they cut down at the height of the pandemic, he said. How long the fallout from COVID-19 will last is anybody's guess, Powers said. 'That's the million-dollar question.' When it comes to accommodation, he said the high prices can be blamed on minimal supply. 'I'm just booking Vancouver for the fall, and I'm having trouble finding a place for under $500 a night,' he said. 'That's a lot.' Restaurant bills in Canada add up — when compared with those in Europe — because of the tipping culture that adds 15 to 20 per cent for each meal, he said. With the push to support Canadian tourism, Powers said, people are willing to pay 'a bit of a premium.' 'How much premium is the question? And it's almost getting out of control.'

Opinion: Independence at what cost to Alberta taxpayers?
Opinion: Independence at what cost to Alberta taxpayers?

Calgary Herald

time5 hours ago

  • Calgary Herald

Opinion: Independence at what cost to Alberta taxpayers?

Independence is one of those words that we all think we know the definition of. Most of us really don't, just like teenagers who embrace the idea of expanded freedom without understanding the responsibility that goes along with it. Article content To become independent, Alberta would have to quickly recreate agencies and infrastructure that took dozens of decades for the federal government to establish. People would have to decide if they wanted to stay in an independent Alberta or move elsewhere. Some Canadians might choose to move to Alberta. Alberta might have to decide whether it will allow the 'immigration' of such Canadians. Article content Article content Article content Article content Federal criminal codes will need to be first. Prisoners will have to be relocated. Incarcerated Albertans will have to be brought home. Article content Military bases will need to be emptied of personnel and equipment. If Alberta intends to have its own military, it will have to recruit and find somewhere to purchase equipment, from mess kits to airplanes. Article content The provincial police force will need to be augmented. Alberta will need its own air traffic controllers, customs and border guards, immigration officers, produce inspectors and the support staff that makes everything possible. Article content Becoming an independent nation is going to be expensive. Just the signs on all the buildings and new stationery and currency will cost more than a fighter jet. How would all this get paid for? Article content Article content Proponents assume the oilsands can sign the cheque. There's the notion that those lands belong to our sovereign First Nations, who have publicly said they will not follow Alberta into independence. Article content Alberta will have lots of expenses and no treasure chest to pay for them. Article content Its only choice might be to join the United States as that 51st state that U.S. President Donald Trump keeps mentioning. So much for independence. Article content Alberta leadership has wanted American-style health care for some time. But we should be careful what we wish for. My wife fractured her back while living in the United States. She received virtually no treatment or rehab, as she didn't have the right insurance. After eight years in a wheelchair, she taught herself to walk again. Article content What would independence mean for Alberta? Not what most people believe.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store