Last month, MP Scot Davidson visited the Bradford Islamic Community Centre to pay his respects after the hate-motivated attack on a Muslim family in London, Ont., that resulted in four deaths, and orphaning of a nine-year-old boy.
But when he arrived at the centre in the east end Bradford plaza, he wasn't sure if he was in the right place. He was at the correct address but didn't see any signs for the centre above any of the units.
Tucked away in the doors under another business name, Davidson finally found his way into the centre.
When he entered, he asked the group why they didn't have any signage or banners to make the public aware of their location.
Their answer?
Fear.
Fear that they would be victims of hate-motivated crimes similar to that of the one in London. They didn't want to draw any attention to themselves.
"That really bothered me," said Davidson. "You're part of our community, and Canada is always welcoming."
The Bradford Islamic Community Centre was established shortly after the shooting at a Quebec mosque in 2017.
Shortly after his visit last month, Davidson got in touch with local business, Addictive Design to have signage made up for the centre.
Two signs were made, one for the front door and one for above the unit, and were put up on Thursday.
Davidson stopped by on Friday to check them out and speak with some of the members of the community.
"It looks much better," said President and Founder of the centre, Jawed Akhter who was grateful for Davidson's efforts.
"It's the least we could do," said Davidson. "This is a great community and it's important to me that everyone feels comfortable."
Furqan Abbassi who is part of the management team at the centre was also pleased to see the new signage.
"We love it, we really appreciate it, it's beautiful," he said. "For us, it's acceptance."
To learn more about the Bradford Islamic Community Centre, click here.