This is a city that embraces pluralities not just among its populace, but even in its monikers: Toronto the Good, Hogtown, The 6, The 416 and simply YYZ, among others. On Monday, within hours of witnessing a senseless 26-minute carnage after a van plowed into pedestrians, leaving 10 citizens dead and 14 injured, a new descriptor became apparent: Toronto The Giving.That giving by helping began even as events were unfolding: Henry Yang, who was driving behind the Ryder van just after it jumped to the sidewalk, who began honking and making noise to alert people to get out of the way. Later, family offering water to those walking up the streets because public transit was shut down. Today, a florist offered free flowers to passersby to make “the world feel better,” my colleague Tamar Harris reported.Read more: Most victims in van rampage on Yonge St. were women, police sayOpinion | Emma Teitel: It’s hideous to think that right-wing media were hoping for a Muslim villain after the van rampageOpinion | Martin Regg-Cohn: Toronto’s diversity offers a degree of immunity during times of terrorIn the face of sudden tragedies, kindness prompts people to allay a feeling of helplessness. After my yoga class Tuesday that the teacher dedicated to the victims, I overheard three women who were heading out to volunteer at a women’s aid agency. “We have so much,” one of them said. “We’re blessed. We’re alive.”Organizations sprung up to raise funds. Canada Zakat has raised more than $50,000 since yesterday. It helped raise more than $800,000 after last year’s mosque shooting in Quebec City.The Islamic Relief Canada also launched a fundraiser. The group raised tens of thousands of dollars after the Fort McMurray wildfire and thousands after the Humboldt Broncos tragedy. If you, like me, were fortunate enough to avoid much of social media Monday, you would likely be able to process the tragedy with a purer sense of ...
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