Winnipeg police increase patrols around synagogues

Winnipeg police say they are increasing patrols around synagogues and other Jewish spaces following targeted shootings at synagogues in the Toronto area.

“These acts of violence resonate far beyond the (Greater Toronto Area),” the Winnipeg Police Service said in post on Facebook Saturday afternoon.

Toronto police said they are investigating after shots were fired at three Toronto-area synagogues in less than a week — one Monday, Friday and early Saturday.

Winnipeg police said they are increasing patrols around synagogues and Jewish community spaces in an effort to provide “reassurance” to the local community.

“We haven’t received any similar types of associated threats,” WPS Const. Dani McKinnon said Saturday. “We’ve taken these types of precautions many times before, because we do have a large community we want to support. And this type of message resonates across Canada.”

Gustavo Zentner, vice-president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, said Saturday Canada’s leaders “must be absolutely clear that it is outrageous for Canadian communities to face violence because of events happening abroad.”

“No more ‘thoughts and prayers’ — we need to see urgent action,” Zentner told the Free Press. “All levels of government must move immediately to address the escalating security demands of communities targeted by this wave of violence. Resources should flow quickly and distributed directly to communities most at risk.”

Winnipeg Jewish Federation president & CEO, Jeff Lieberman said attacks like those in Toronto are deeply troubling.

“Incidents like these are meant to intimidate the Jewish community and make people feel unsafe in their places of worship,” said Lieberman in an emailed statement to the Free Press. “Canadians should be alarmed that synagogues in this country are once again being targeted with gunfire.

“We are in regular contact with our security partners and with the Winnipeg Police Service. While we do not comment on specific security measures, the safety of our community remains our highest priority, and we are continually refining our policies, procedures, and infrastructure. We appreciate WPS increasing patrols and their ongoing efforts to help protect synagogues and Jewish community institutions across our city.”

Winnipeg’s Jewish community was on edge earlier this year after antisemitic graffiti was scrawled on Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Kelvin High School — just a few blocks away — and Munson Park next door on Wellington Crescent.

“Following last night’s attacks in Ontario, we are in contact with provincial and municipal governments and are in direct coordination with the Winnipeg Police Service,” Zentner said. “These attacks are real. The escalation and normalization of violence are real. The pressure on community resources and police services is real. We need a whole-of-government approach to ensure that all communities are protected.

“This is not just about the safety of one community — it is about our national security and the future of our Canadian way of life.”

The incidents have drawn national attention, with Prime Minister Mark Carney posting to X on Saturday afternoon that his government will use every tool available to confront antisemitic violence and hatred, including federal agencies and the RCMP, to “bring them to the full weight of justice.”

“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 wrote.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, in a social media post, said government needs to act.

“The Jewish community is under attack in Canada,” he wrote on social media. “Government’s core responsibility is the safety of its people. It is time to end this violence once and for all.”

After attacks in Winnipeg in January, the province announced a $1-million program to deliver immediate funding for security upgrades at religious and cultural institutions facing threats of hate crimes.

Premier Wab Kinew said the funding would be available provincewide, with organizations also able to draw on the expertise of Dave Dalal, a former Winnipeg police officer, who will offer tailored advice on security measures.

“I want to make it very clear… when somebody commits a hate crime, they’re committing a crime against all of us as Manitobans,” Kinew said at a news conference at the time. “There is no place for hate in our society.”

A swastika was also drawn on a door at Abu Bakr Al-Siddique mosque.

“A message to our Jewish community here in Manitoba: we’ve got your back,” Kinew said during the news conference in January. “At the same time, I also want to speak to Manitoba’s Muslims here. We have recently seen some very ugly forms of hatred expressed towards you and some very nasty forms of vandalism targeting your religious institutions. I also want to say we’ve got your back and we’re very much committed to action.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca