Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Elementary school teacher Hanni Shahatto remembers the last time he saw his former student, 15-year-old Yumnah Afzaal.
Just before Ontario was set to enter into lockdown again in April, Yumnah had paid a visit to her old Grade 7 and 8 teacher at the elementary school she had graduated from the previous year.
"She said, 'Mr. Hanni, I wanted to come today, because I feel like today's probably the last time, I'm going to see you for a long time.’ And that was the last time I saw her," he told CTV National News in London, Ont.
On Sunday, Yumnah was killed along with her parents and her grandmother in a vehicle attack that police believe was fuelled by anti-Muslim hate.
Shahatto, who had taught Yumnah geography, history and English at London Islamic School, is remembering her as an "extremely talented, extremely intelligent, warm-hearted" student, brimming with potential.
"She's unique and beyond her years, and all the attributes I just mentioned, her intelligence, her talents, her emotional intelligence," said Shahatto.
"She had such an eye for the arts, such an ability in academics. Socially, (she was) everybody's friend. She was just excellent in everything."
Shahatto had known Yumnah since she was a young child, when he had filled in for her Grade 2 teacher.
"Yumnah, since she was a little kid, she just has this... sparkling personality. You'll notice a kid like that in any classroom," he added.
Yumnah also had a passion for art, something that didn't go unnoticed by Shahatto. After seeing her talent, he offered her the opportunity to paint a wall-to-ceiling mural at the school.
"She jumped at this opportunity. She had a deep love for the school. She wanted to give back. She wanted to leave her legacy," said Shahatto.
While Yumnah would spend her weekends with Shahatto working on the mural, they were often joined by Yumnah's parents, Salman Afzaal and Mediha Salman, who he calls "beautiful examples of people."
"They cared about Yumnah so much, they made the time to be with her for every minute that we were working on a mural, supporting her," Shahatto said.
Shahatto says he's "not 100-per-cent shocked" that such an attack took place, given that he's felt "like I needed to be on guard" ever since the 9/11 attacks, which led to a rise in anti-Muslim violence across North America.
"(The attack) kind of validates feelings I've had for a long time that I need to be on guard, no matter what security systems are in place," he said.
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly Knight, a Grade 4 student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.