Police in multiple cities across Canada are responding to bomb threats made against Jewish organizations, synagogues, and hospitals.
The RCMP said it’s been working with various police departments on the investigation.
“We are working with local law enforcement, who are actively responding to ensure locations are safe and secure,” an RCMP spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an Aug. 21 emailed statement.
Synagogues, Jewish community centres, and hospitals in Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa are among those that have received the threat.
B’nai Brith Canada said it had received a bomb threat, along with “multiple” other Jewish organizations.
“This is not just an attack on our safety — it’s an attack on the fabric of Canadian society,” the organization said in an Aug. 21 post on social media.
“Authorities are treating this as a hate crime and are taking immediate, decisive action to protect our people,” B’nai Brith wrote. “In a country where all citizens should feel safe, these cowardly threats aim to terrorize our communities and erode our Canadian values.”
The Toronto Police Service (TPS) said some buildings in the city were evacuate over a bomb threat.
“We are aware of threats made via email to Jewish organizations across Canada. Today, TPS attended bldgs in the Bathurst St & Sheppard Ave W area for a bomb threat,” TPS said in an Aug. 21 post on social media. “The bldgs were evacuated as a precaution and cleared. We are continuing to address the possible impact in Toronto.”
Police in Ottawa said they were on scene at several hospitals in the city amid ongoing investigations.
“Ottawa Police are assisting the RCMP with an ongoing police operation at various Ottawa Hospitals,” Ottawa Police said an Aug. 21 post on platform X.
“Police are taking pre-cautionary measures to ensure public safety while the investigation continues.”
RCMP said in the emailed statement that law enforcement is also “engaging with faith-based leaders to ensure they have the information and support they need.”
“We want to reassure the public that the safety and security of Canadians is our top priority. The RCMP can confirm that the Federal Policing National Security Program is investigating the source of the threats,” said the statement.
The Centre for Jewish and Israel Affairs (CJIA) said it believed the threats were “nuisance emails.”
“We are in contact with law enforcement and all indications points to these threats being nuisance emails designed to disrupt lives,” CJIA said in a post on X. “There is no imminent threat. Jewish Canadians will not be intimidated - we will continue to take part in Jewish life. We will stay vigilant, but we will never be intimidated.”
Party Leaders React
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his concern over the threats on social media.“I’m disgusted at reports that more than 100 Jewish institutions across Canada were targeted by threats today. This is blatant antisemitism,” Trudeau said in an Aug. 21 post on X. “The RCMP is in contact with local law enforcement to investigate, and we’re working with them to keep Jewish Canadians safe.”
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre re-posted Tory MP Melissa Lantsman’s comments on the X platform.
“It should never become normal for any worship services to be disrupted and evacuated from threats. Canada is not the free country we know and love if the right to worship freely and safely needs to be protected,” she added.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said that he was standing with the Jewish community.
“Threats like this are not only despicable and cowardly — but must be taken with the utmost seriousness,” Singh said in an Aug. 21 post on social media.
“Antisemitism and hate have no place in our country.”
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