Mr. Speaker, the people of Toronto have taken their city back with a defiant act of hope after the senseless mass murder of so many people, the vast majority of whom were women. This atrocity compels us to deal with the vicious misogyny that is spreading on the Internet and throughout society. Words matter. It is incumbent upon all of us, particularly men, to call out this hatred.
However, Torontonians show us that hatred does not win out. Their memorial exemplifies a city of diversity and faith where people do treat each other with tolerance and respect. I love their vitality and I love their cool defiance, a spirit that was exemplified by Officer Ken Lam when he stayed so calm in the face of carnage—and he does not want to be called a hero. How Canadian.
After the attacks in other cities where we talk about Boston Strong and Manchester Proud, are we content to just say “Toronto the Good”? No way. It is Toronto the awesome.