'Strength to Manchester': Toronto reacts to deadly concert bombing
Staff and visitors at Toronto's British Consulate arrived Tuesday morning to find a message of solidarity emblazoned on their front sidewalk: "Strength to Manchester."
It comes a day after 22 people were killed and dozens more injured in a bombing outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England.
"I wanted to do it because the people at the consulate would be coming into work with very heavy hearts this morning," said artist Victor Fraser.
Fraser painted the message on the pavement Monday night after learning of the attack. He had previously left a message reading "strength" with a Union Jack in front of the consulate after the 2005 London bombings.
"It's very important to me as a free Canadian artist to battle back to these acts of hate," he said.
Toronto's Manchester connections
The attack is weighing heavily on the minds of other Torontonians, including the many who follow Manchester's hugely popular soccer team, Manchester United F.C.
"It's quite shocking and disheartening," said Graham Pate, treasurer of the Manchester United Supporters Club of Canada.
Pate and other club members have visited to watch matches and some have friends and family in Manchester year round. The club started checking in on people in the city after learning of the attack.
"Everyone that I know personally was okay, but quite shaken and rattled," Pate said.
Toronto venues respond
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) says it will roll out "heightened security measures," at the Air Canada Centre (ACC) in the wake of the attack, though the company did not specify what those measures will be. Hometown artist The Weeknd will perform concerts on Friday and Saturday at the ACC.
MLSE already uses metal detectors and wands, performs bag checks and employs bomb-sniffing dogs during events.
The Toronto Blue Jays, operators of the Rogers Centre, did not indicate that they are considering any immediate security changes.
"The Toronto Blue Jays are constantly reviewing its security policies in conjunction with the Toronto Police Services, [Major League Baseball] Security and other law enforcement agencies. The disturbing and tragic events of [Monday] evening will only reinforce our efforts," the Blue Jays said in a statement.
