London, Ont. gathers to honour Afzaal family five years after fatal attack

London, Ont. gathered on Saturday to honour the Afzaal family, five years after a fatal attack. CTV Windsor's Reta Ismail reports.

Hundreds gathered Saturday at a memorial site in northwest London to mark the fifth anniversary of the attack that killed four members of the Afzaal family and left a young boy seriously injured in what was later ruled an act of terrorism motivated by anti-Muslim hate.

The ceremony at the intersection of Hyde Park and South Carriage roads began with a moment of reflection, honouring the lives of Salman Afzaal, Madiha Salman, their daughter Yumnah, and grandmother Talat Afzaal.

The family was struck by a pickup truck, driven by Nathaniel Veltman, on June 6, 2021, while out for an evening walk. Their then nine-year-old son survived, but suffered serious injuries.

Speakers at Saturday’s memorial said the anniversary serves not only as a time to remember those who were lost, but also as a reminder of the ongoing work required to combat Islamophobia and hate.

“The fact of the matter is, such a phobia exists daily. It continues. The venom and hate continue, and we need to address it,” one speaker told attendees.

The gathering drew community members, faith leaders, and elected officials, many of whom reflected on the impact the attack had on London and beyond.

Organizers described the event as an opportunity to honour what has become known as “Our London Family” while reaffirming a commitment to building a more inclusive community.

“Now we stand together, united across race, across initiatives to say that Islamophobia and anti-Muslim bigotry stops here,” another speaker said.

Since the attack, local organizations, educators, and government leaders have introduced initiatives aimed at addressing Islamophobia and strengthening relationships between diverse communities.

London Mayor Josh Morgan said the city developed a comprehensive action plan to combat Islamophobia in the years following the attack.

“We developed a whole action plan to combat Islamophobia. And we work through a good portion of that plan, recognizing significant anniversaries like this fifth-year anniversary,” Morgan said.

London West MP Arielle Kayabaga said governments have responded to many of the requests made by the Muslim community since 2021 but added that addressing hate requires action beyond public policy.

“The calls that were made to all politicians from the community, many of them have been met and been responded to,” Kayabaga said.

“Does that absolve us of hate in our community, in our society? I would say ... some of the work that we will continue to hope to see is more grassroots work that is done amongst families at the dinner table.”

NDP MPP Terence Kernaghan said some advocates remain frustrated by what they see as a lack of legislative progress.

“The community came together and they advocated very strongly in the wake of the horrible terrorist tragedy that happened with the family. And we saw many political leaders come and commit to change. But unfortunately, we have not seen legislative change,” Kernaghan said.

Others pointed to concerns about policies elsewhere in Canada that they believe continue to affect religious freedoms.

“There’s still work to be done,” said Esa Islam, executive director of the Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia.

“Especially when, for example, you have in Quebec bills like Bill 9 and Bill 21.”

As flowers, prayers, and messages of remembrance continued to fill the memorial site, attendees said the anniversary underscored both the lasting impact of the attack and the responsibility to continue confronting hate.

Five years after the deaths of four members of the Afzaal family, many gathered in London said their memory remains a powerful call for unity, inclusion, and action.

In 2023, Veltman was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. His appeal is currently before Ontario’s Court of Appeal.