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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.