A hastily-organized vigil following the fatal shootings at a mosque in Quebec drew about 300 people to the lawn in front of city hall on Monday night.
Most were carrying candles and many held up signs with such phrases as "My Canada includes Muslims," "Love, not hate, makes Canada great," and "One people together."
As much as it was about showing support for the local Muslim community in the wake of what has been branded a terrorist attack, it was also an opportunity to express dissent with U.S. president Donald Trump's executive order curbing immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days.
Speaking to the gathering, Hira Rashid, one of the vigil's main organizers, said moves like Trump's only serve to increase incidents of violence against minorities across the United States.
"As Canadians, we welcome each other with open arms, and we are strong and embrace the differences that we have," Rashid said and later added that every religion at its centre is about peace.
"I have said it before and I will say it again, the best way to defeat hatred is to love," Rashid said. "Love each other, love your neighbours, love your community. Get to know them. Learn their names, learn their stories, participate with them in their events....at the end of the day, love trumps hate."
MLA Shirley Bond and Mayor Lyn Hall also had a few moments to speak.
"It's so important that we continue to speak out on behalf of opening our doors, opening our arms and welcoming men and women from other countries and their families," said Bond.
Hall said that as he looked out across those who gathered, he saw a "group of people that are diversified, who are multicultural and who make up the core of what this community is all about. What happened in Quebec this week is unthinkable. It's not something that we see in Canada."
Mostafa Mohamed, who chairs the Prince George chapter of the B.C. Muslim Association, said gathering supports one of the fundamental beliefs of Islam - "that we are all part of one big family."
The response to the call for a vigil on such short notice left Rashid emotional.
"I'm holding back tears," she said. "I'm very proud to call Prince George home because the turnout was bigger than I would've expected it to be and I appreciate and love the support that the community has given us."
