Montreal vigil marks Quebec City mosque attack anniversary as Islamophobia persistsBy Canadian Press on January 29, 2026. MONTREAL — Organizers of a vigil in Montreal to mark the ninth anniversary of a mass shooting at a Quebec City mosque that left six people dead and 19 wounded say they are speaking out about racism at a time when Islamophobia is high in Quebec. Kanani said the vigil comes at a time when many Muslims in Quebec continue to feel unsafe. “There’s definitely a polarization within our society.”Stephen Brown, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said the Quebec City mosque attack did not occur in isolation, but followed a series of Islamophobic incidents. The Quebec City mosque attack occurred on Jan. 29, 2017, when Alexandre Bissonnette entered the Islamic Cultural Centre in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood during evening prayers and opened fire on worshippers.