Canada must unite governments to curb rising hate and violent extremism

In a recent column, Gary Mar argues that Canada is confronting an unprecedented wave of organized hate, extremism and violent assaults that strain its institutions. He points to two shootings at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, repeated attacks on Jewish sites and a federal study indicating that 95.7 % of Jewish campus students have encountered antisemitism. Toronto police chief Myron Demkiw described a “guns-for-hire” economy where youths are paid $600-$1,000 through encrypted apps to carry out attacks and record them.

Mar urges the federal government to create a national hate-extremism crime-tracking system, tighten scrutiny of charities tied to extremist activity, and overhaul the Criminal Code and bail provisions. He also calls on provinces to strengthen Holocaust education, enforce clear campus safety rules, and allow municipalities to set security perimeters around threatened institutions. The column stresses that coordinated, decisive action across all levels of government is essential to preserve democratic resilience.