The Ottawa Police Service now says an unprovoked attack on a Jewish woman in a local grocery store is a hate-motivated crime. Police said a woman in her 70s was stabbed by a stranger in the Loblaws store at College Square in Ottawa’s west end at around 1:35 p.m. Wednesday in an attack they said was unprovoked. “After a thorough investigation, this incident is considered a hate-motivated crime,” police said in a news release Friday afternoon. “OPS is in contact with leaders of the Jewish community, and directives have been issued to officers to increase their presence in areas of significance to the Jewish community.” The accused, identified in court documents and by police on Friday as Joseph Rooke, 71, of Cornwall, is facing charges of aggravated assault and possession of a dangerous weapon. He remains in custody. The woman was identified as a “cherished member” of the Jewish community by the Jewish Federation of Ottawa on Thursday afternoon. The woman is recovering from her injuries. The attack occurred in a Loblaws that is home to a well-known kosher section, including a deli. The city ward where it happened is also home to many Jewish residents. Adam Silver, president of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, was greeting customers at the Loblaws on Friday to offer assurances. “This is a second home for our Jewish community with a kosher section and people who frequent either weekly or daily even, and we want people to feel safe,” he said. He called for politicians to do more than just issue statements in wake of the attack. “Words are one thing, action is another. We need action. We need those that perpetrate these kinds of things to be held to the greatest account of the law and we need to stop this in its tracks.” Condemnations pour in In the aftermath of the incident, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Prime Minister Mark Carney, and other local representatives issued statements expressing shock and disgust at the attack. “This reprehensible violence has understandably caused significant distress within Ottawa’s Jewish community. I have connected with members of the victim’s family and leaders in the Jewish community to express my support and solidarity on behalf of all Ottawa residents,” Sutcliffe said on social media on Thursday. “I await the results of the investigation by the Ottawa Police. We must stand together against violence and hatred in all its forms and continue working together to ensure Ottawa remains a safe and inclusive city for everyone. My thoughts are with the victim and her loved ones, and I join the community in wishing her a full and speedy recovery.” Speaking in a news conference at City Hall, Sutcliffe said everyone in Ottawa has a responsibility to push back against hatred. “We need to send a strong signal that we never tolerate this in our community. This is not acceptable in Ottawa. This cannot become a place where these kinds of events happen more often. We have to push back against that and it’s a responsibility for each and every one of us,” he said. “If you’re a member of the Jewish community, you’re going to see more patrols in the vicinity. You’re going to see more police officers, more security in general, and I hope that’s reassuring to people. I wish we didn’t have to do it. I wish we weren’t in a situation where that was required, but I hope that offers some reassurance to members of the community.” Carney called the attack “senseless” and said he stands with Canada’s Jewish community. “My thoughts are with her, her family, and Ottawa’s Jewish community, and my support is with law enforcement as they work to swiftly bring the perpetrator to justice. To Canada’s Jewish community: you are not alone. We stand with you against hate and threats to your safety, and we will act to confront antisemitism wherever it appears,” he wrote in a post on X. Ford commented Friday to say he was “deeply disturbed” by the incident. “My thoughts are with the victim as well as Ottawa’s Jewish community. I pray she makes a full recovery. The Ottawa Police’s hate crimes unit has my full support as they carry out their investigation into this attack. Hate, violence and antisemitism have no place in our province,” he said. College Ward Coun. Laine Johnson said on social media the attack shocked and saddened the community. “I have raised concerns about antisemitism several times over the past few years, and even successfully brought a motion to ask the federal government to ban the display of certain hate symbols. It’s not enough,” she said in a thread on Bluesky. “Today & next week, I am meeting with other community leaders including representatives from the Jewish Community, Mayor Sutcliffe, our MP and MPP, College Square management, & the Nepean Rideau Osgoode Community Resource Centre, who offer free counselling for residents traumatized by these events.” Ottawa West-Nepean New Democrat MPP Chandra Pasma called the incident “deeply troubling” and said her heart goes out to the victim. “This is a very serious crime. As we said, an unprovoked attack, which is not something that anybody is comfortable with in our community, least of all the Ottawa Police Service,” Deputy Ottawa Police Chief Trish Ferguson told CTV News Ottawa. “Obviously, members of the community are concerned. We have numerous outreaches into the community to engage with our partners and be able to provide whatever support is required.” With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Joshua Marano
