Carney denounces hate crime-charged attack at 2 Toronto synagogues

Philippine Canadian Inquirer
March 8, 2026

(Photo courtesy: Mark Carney/Facebook)

OTTAWA, Ontario — Prime Minister Mark Carney denounced the recent gunfire incidents at two Jewish synagogues in Toronto, Ontario, assuring the public that the police authorities are conducting their investigation to identify the perpetrators of the said hate crimes.

Local police said the shots were reportedly fired at midnight at Beth Avraham Yoseph ​of Toronto in Thornhill and Shaarei ⁠Shomayim in North York, with no injuries recorded.

“These criminal antisemitic attacks are an assault on the rights of Jewish Canadians to live and pray in safety. They are also fundamental violations of the Canadian way of life,” Carney said in a post on Facebook.

“The federal government will use every tool available to confront antisemitic violence and hatred, and protect places of worship. Canada’s new government has introduced legislation to strengthen the Criminal Code, protect our communities, and combat hate,” he said.

Earlier that week, Temple Emanu-El in ​North York was also maliciously attacked.

According to the Berman Jewish Data Bank as of 2022, there are an estimated 390,000 religious Jews across Canada, with Toronto remaining the largest Jewish community with 194,541, followed by Montreal at 96,323.

Carney at the time is out of the country and was on a diplomatic visit to Australia for economic, defence, energy, and artificial intelligence partnerships.