The City of Côte Saint-Luc is horrified by the stabbing of a Jewish woman in Ottawa on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, now confirmed by police as a hate crime. The woman who was attacked is in our thoughts.
We are grateful that Ottawa police have arrested the assailant, that he is being charged, and that police are considering it a hate-motivated crime, which means that if convicted, the accused will get a harsher sentence.
Anti-Jewish hate has surged in Canada in the past two years, fuelled in part by a news media that too often amplifies the propaganda of Hamas without proper verification. This false or misleading information then spreads onto social media where algorithms help derange people, some of whom will then attack Jewish Canadians shopping at a grocery store or walking with their young children in a park.
Hate is also spread at demonstrations, which is why Côte Saint-Luc has been pressing the Montreal administration to take stronger action. The City will be submitting six action items to the Agglomeration Security Commission next month. This follows our raising concerns directly with the Montreal Police Department, the Montreal mayor, as well as provincial and federal authorities.
At the local level, our Public Security Department remains in close contact with local synagogues, schools, and community groups, particularly during sensitive periods such as the Jewish High Holidays.
These measures are unfortunately only addressing symptoms of a wider societal problem. Condemnations from prime ministers and premiers alone are not enough. Our governments, institutions, and civic leaders must act decisively. We need consistent enforcement of laws against intimidation and incitement, real accountability for groups spreading hate including those funded by hostile foreign entities, and a news media that follows journalistic standards.
Côte Saint-Luc will continue to do everything in its power to protect our residents and to call on higher levels of government to confront this threat head-on. The safety and dignity of Jewish Canadians is not negotiable, nor is the future of Quebec and Canada.