Londoners remember the Afzaal family
Preparations are underway for the Our London Family Vigil, taking place Tuesday evening at Memorial Plaza.
Crews are working to secure the intersection of Hyde Park Road and South Carriage Road for the event that will honour alman Afzaal, his wife Madiha, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna and 74-year-old grandmother Talat, along with a surviving nine-year-old boy.
Road closures will be in effect in both directions on Hyde Park Road from Sarnia Road to Gainsborough Road beginning at 4 p.m.
The corner of Hyde Park Road and South Carriage Road will be fully closed as of 8 a.m., the Corner of Gainsborough Road and Prince Wales Gate will be open to local residents only after 3 p.m.
Marking the two year anniversary of the alleged terror attack that took the lives of four members of the same family, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) board has announced an Anti-Islamophobia Strategy.
“The tragic events of June 6 are a solemn reminder of the pervasive and deadly impact that racism, discrimination and hate can have in our society. The Thames Valley District School Board is firmly committed to taking the sustained action necessary to end Islamophobia in our communities,” said Director of Education Mark Fisher.
Hundreds of Londoners gather for the Our London Family Vigil in London, Ont. on June 6, 2023. (Nick Paparella/CTV News London)
According to a release, the board says it is following the lead of and working in conjunction with Muslim community partners to build an effective long-term strategy that simultaneously seeks to affirm Muslim identities while combatting the root causes that give rise to hate and discrimination directed towards the Muslim community.
The board is collaborating with a number of community organizations on the strategy, including the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), Hikma Public Affairs Council and the Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support & Integration (MRCSSI).
There will be public consultation and a community survey in the near future to gather input from Muslim families across the district.
The Anti-Islamophobia Strategy is scheduled for release on June 6, 2024.
The Thames Valley District School Board announces an Anti-Islamophobia Strategy to be released in 2024. June 6, 2023. (Marek Sutherland/CTV News London)
Elsewhere around the city, a number of events are taking place to mark the grim anniversary.
- June 6 - Our London Family Vigil, 6:30 p.m. at Hyde Park/South Carriage road
- June 8 - Londoners Remember and Learn, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Jalna Public Library
- June 9 - Combating Islamophobia Together, 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at Civic Gardens
- June 17 - Pond Fest 2023, 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. at Hyde Park Village Green
A number of officials in the city and across the province and country are also sharing their thoughts on social media.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities such as Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston, Ont., Hamilton, Ont., Brampton, Ont., and Montreal.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.