Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, residents of Willowdale were shocked and appalled to learn of a cowardly, anti-Semitic hate crime.
Incidents such as these, in which hateful notes were left at the doorsteps of residents, and mezuzahs were destroyed in an act of senseless vandalism, hold no place in Canadian society. I was particularly struck when one of this weekend's victims, Ms. Helen Chaiton, told me she was not the least bit surprised to be the target of such hatred.
We know that an attack on any one community is an attack on us all. For that reason we must condemn all forms of intolerance, and be ever vigilant in protecting Canadian diversity. The vandalism in my riding and other recent demonstrations of hate and bigotry do not represent the Canada we are recognized for.
The Canada we can all stand proud of is the one I witnessed the night prior to this terrible crime, when I attended an event convened by a neighbouring mosque and synagogue in Thornhill to mark the anniversary of their coming together a year earlier to jointly sponsor a family of Syrian newcomers.
As we move forward, let us follow their shining example to make sure there is no place for those who wish to divide us.