A letter-writing campaign is one of the latest efforts in an outpouring of support for the Muslim community in Quebec City since the mosque shooting three months ago.

A binder full of handwritten letters is being sent with love from strangers to those still dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy.

“I think people are trying to come together and just show support and respect,” said Sarah Johnston, who also helped organize the vigil that brought thousands of people together the night after the deadly mosque shooting.

She and the other organizers wanted to do more, and so, Lettre a toi was born.

“I think we all had a feeling that we wanted to keep the conversation going, not let this event be forgotten,” she said. “More importantly, not let the families be forgotten, because they're still dealing with grief, they're still dealing with not having members of their family.”

The group launched the letter-writing campaign, spreading the message through Facebook and the letters started pouring in.

“We wanted to give a voice to the people from Quebec City who were touched by this event,” said Tommy Bureau, one of the organizers.

The letters were about more than the tragedy at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre, said Johnston.

“We've had also political issues regarding the hijab and other things. I think a lot of people for a long time didn't really know how to come forward to say, ‘This is not the Quebec that we know. The Quebec that we know is diverse and we're here for each other,’” she said.



Even children too young to write sent in drawings.

“Everyone on the committee cried at one point, because the letters are magnificent,” said organizer Annie Demers-Caron. “They are full of introspection and also full of love.”

All the survivors and the families of the victims will get their own copies.

The group also plans to give binders to the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre and other mosques in the area.

Organizing it all and planning the distribution is a big, timing-consuming project, but for everyone involved, it's a labour of love.

“I'm just really personally hopeful that this will be a step towards healing,” said Johnston.