Sudbury

Sudburians say mosque shooting is 'not our Canada'

Around 100 people filled Memorial Park to show solidarity for the Quebec City mosque shooting victims.

Speakers from city hall, police service, Jewish and Muslim communities showed solidarity

Sisters Mariam and Fatima Alaeddine brought signs of support to Memorial Park on Tuesday, Jan. 31. The two were part of a public vigil in honour of the victims of the Quebec City mosque attack earlier this week. (Samantha Samson/CBC News)

Memorial Park was full of light Tuesday night.

Around 100 people showed up to a public vigil in honour of the Quebec City mosque shooting victims. People there said they came in solidarity, to show their respect to those affected and to prove what happened on Sunday doesn't reflect Canada as a whole.

A man holds candles he brought from home to the public vigil on Tuesday, Jan. 31. (Samantha Samson/CBC News)

Fatima Alaeddine came with her sister Mariam. The two women said they have family in Montreal, and have been calling to check on them more frequently after the attack. Alaeddine said knowing the shooting was only hours away makes it all the more important to show that's not what her country stands for.

Attack 'unacceptable and not our Canada'

"What happened was a great tragedy and it's a hate crime," Alaeddine said. "We are standing for our people, for our religion. What happened is unacceptable and it's not our Canada."

Alaeddine also said she was supposed to go to a conference in the United States this weekend, but her parents asked her to cancel for a number of reasons.

"Because of the ban, of what Trump signed and our parents are scared for us to go," she said. "It was going to be a Muslim conference, so there's going to be a large population of Muslims there gathered in one space. My parents were scared something like what happened in Quebec would happen there, open fire or something."

A child signs a poster that says "We stand with you," at the public vigil on Tuesday, Jan. 31.The vigil was held in Memorial Park in honour of the Quebec City mosque shooting victims. (Samantha Samson/CBC News)

Speakers at the vigil included members of Sudbury city hall, the Greater Sudbury Police Service, members of the Jewish community and members of the Muslim community.

There were cards from Myths and Mirrors there for people to sign in support of the victims and their families. Organizers say their plan is to send the cards to the Quebec City mosque to show their support from northern Ontario.

Click here to see photos of the vigil by Jorge Cueto