TORONTO—Thousands of Torontonians commemorated the victims of the April 23 van attack incident in a Sunday night vigil attended by the governor general, the prime minister, premiers of Ontario and Quebec, the mayor of Toronto, and many other officials.
The #TorontoStrong Vigil was held at 7 p.m. at the Mel Lastman Square, located very close to the scene of the tragedy which took the lives of 10 people and left many injured.
Attendees laid flowers, lit candles, and placed cardboards with notes of tribute to the victims at a memorial site by the entrance of the venue.
The program featured talks by the city’s faith community, as well as choir and musical performances. First responders drew a standing ovation from the crowd as they entered the area, and attendees received with cheer news that the #TorontoStrong fund set up in part by the City of Toronto in support of the victims of the tragedy, has surpassed $1.8 million in donations.
A poster in Toronto on April 29, 2018 near the site of the April 23 van attack, about an event to commemorate the victims of the tragedy. (Omid Ghoreishi/The Epoch Times)
The event was attended by the Governor General Julie Payette, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer, Ontario Premier Kathryn Wynne, Toronto Mayor John Tory, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, and many other elected officials. The program didn’t include talks by the officials.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (C) along with other officials including Governor General Julie Payette (2-L), Toronto Mayor John Tory (3-L), Ontario PremierKathryn Wynne (3-R), and Quebec PremierPhilippe Couillard (2-R) attend a vigil on April 29, 2018 in Toronto to commemorate victims of the April 23 van attack incident that took the lives of 10 people. (Omid Ghoreishi/The Epoch Times)
Alek Minassian, a resident of Richmond Hill, Ont., has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and multiple counts of attempted murder as a result of the incident.
Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer along with other officials attend a vigil on April 29, 2018 in Toronto to commemorate victims of the April 23 van attack. (Omid Ghoreishi/The Epoch Times)
Minassian, 25, made a brief court appearance on April 24, the day after the attack, speaking only his name. His next court appearance will be via video on May 10.
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