On Friday evening, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow called for calm and a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement.

This came at a time when the Hate Crimes Unit of the Toronto Police was investigating an act of vandalism at a downtown store belonging to the Indigo bookstore chain. This morning, the store located at the intersection of Bay and Bloor streets was found smeared with red paint and covered with stickers showing the company’s founder and CEO Heather Reisman, who is Jewish.

Chow’s call also comes after weeks of marches and protest gatherings in the streets of Ontario’s capital and Canada’s largest city, alongside escalating tensions on university and college campuses amid ongoing Israeli bombing of the Palestinian Gaza Strip since Hamas’s bloody attack on southern Israel on October 7.

Many of the marches and rallies that took place in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) called for a ceasefire to stop the rising death toll. These sentiments were embraced by Mayor Chow in a statement she issued today.

The Toronto Mayor also praised the diversity in her city as a common bond, but noted that many city residents are currently suffering.

"In my conversations with the Islamic and Jewish communities in recent weeks, I have listened to their concerns and fears, and felt the deep sadness and insecurity people are experiencing at this time," Chow said.

She added: "We must continue to listen to each other, maintain the courage of our compassion, and never forget our shared humanity. Together, we can keep Toronto’s global beacon of hope glowing strongly for all of us. Glowing strongly, not with fire but with light," Chow concluded her statement.