Thunder Bay Police Investigate Islamophobic Assault After Suspect Shouted Anti-Muslim Slurs on Canada Day

Thunder Bay police are investigating an alleged Islamophobic assault that left a man injured while he was out with his family on Canada Day.

“From April 2024 to March 2025, the Office of the Special Representative for Islamophobia (Canada) On this page Dedication To Canadian Muslim youth who deserve to grow up without fear and with a sense of belonging, proudly part of our country”

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The National Council of Canadian Muslims said an individual approached the family and uttered anti-Muslim slurs and obscenities toward the women, including shouting “f** Muslims,” before the suspect allegedly assaulted the man when he tried to intervene.

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Police said officers responded to reports of an assault taking place in the Villa Street and Cumberland Street North area just after 12:45 p.m. on July 1, and one suspect was located, arrested and charged with assault.

The victim was treated by EMS and transported to a local hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening, and the investigation is ongoing with no further information at this time.

In its release, the Thunder Bay Police Service said, “Every person has the right to feel safe in our community,” as it committed to investigating allegations or reports of targeting because of hate or bias.

Canada’s Office of the Special Representative for Islamophobia said its annual report covers work from April 2024 to March 2025, including guidance, resources, and support aimed at eliminating Islamophobia.

The office said it launched the Canadian Guide to Understanding and Combating Islamophobia: For a More Inclusive Canada, described as “the first of its kind to be published by a government anywhere in the world.”

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In Thunder Bay, the NCCM framed the Canada Day incident as part of rising Islamophobia, writing “We cannot accept this as the new normal,” as it sought additional information and reached out to those involved.

The TRT Français report on the Quebec City mosque attack anniversary quoted Ola Shaheen of the Canadian Centre for Youth Development saying, “The country we believed to be safe and where we felt at home has suddenly revealed itself to be more fragile than we could have ever imagined,” while also describing concerns that progress could be rolled back.

TRT Français also quoted Stephen Brown, the executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, saying Islamophobia in Canada “is, unfortunately, a plague that kills,” and warning of “an uptick in Islamophobia and the spread of fear of Muslims for political ends.”

The Office of the Special Representative for Islamophobia said Islamophobia can deter too many Canadians from fully participating in social life, creating obstacles to individual and collective progress.

It cited a July 2024 Statistics Canada figure that reported a 94% increase in hate crimes against Muslims reported to police in the preceding year, adding that experts say the figure does not reflect the full extent of hate due to underreporting.

TRT Français reported that in Montreal’s Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough, residents, activists, and minority representatives gathered to honor the six men killed in the January 29, 2017 shooting at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre, described as the deadliest attack against a place of worship in Canada’s history.

Dr. Kosar Khwaja, a trauma surgeon and intensive-care physician, told TRT Français, “I feel that we are regressing,” warning that divisions are worsening again.

The Office of the Special Representative for Islamophobia said its work is grounded in guidance and advice to the Prime Minister, to ministers, and to deputy ministers to ensure Canadian Muslims can live “free from hatred and discrimination,” tying the federal response to the risks highlighted by the anniversary coverage.