Surrey residents gathered Friday to remember the victims of last week's deadly mosque attacks in New Zealand.
Organizers of the Holland Park vigil told CTV News the event was about showing solidarity with the victims' families and bringing together people of different faiths to promote understanding and combat a rise in extremism.
"Most people are always good and they care about others," said vigil organizer Sikandar Hayat. "It's just a few a few, and we can't let those few take over. We need to take our world back – not just our cities, but our world back – by being more vocal and showing that we love each other. We are human beings first."
The vigil comes after 49 people were shot to death at two mosques in the city of Christchurch during midday prayers last Friday. The death toll rose to 50 over the weekend.
A 28-year old Australian man was arrested and charged with murder.
Attendees at Friday's vigil included families with young children.
One parent told CTV the hardest part is explaining to young people how a person could enter a place of worship and kill people.
The vigil was just one of many gatherings in recent days in Metro Vancouver paying tribute to those killed in the attacks.
Hundreds gathered for a public prayer at the Vancouver Art Gallery, an event organized by a number of local Muslims as a way to bring people together to mourn and to learn what Islam is all about.
Last Friday, many people turned out for a vigil at Jamia Masjid mosque on West 8th Avenue.
A memorial outside the mosque kept growing for the rest of the weekend.
B.C. politicians have also condemned the terror attack, including Premier John Horgan, who said "we often feel powerless in moments like these, but we must stand up."
Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the federal NDP who was recently elected as MP for Burnaby South, called the news devastating in a message posted online.
"My heart goes out to the families of the murdered and all those impacted by this act of terror. Islamophobia kills – and has no place anywhere in the world," he wrote.
Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart posted a message to his Christchurch counterpart on Twitter offering his deepest condolences.
"The terrorist attack in New Zealand breaks my heart and must be called out for what it is: Islamophobia stoked by unchecked white supremacism," he wrote.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Kendra Mangione, Allison Hurst and Ben Miljure
