The Canadian victim of Saturday night’s terrorist attack in London has been identified as Christine Archibald, a woman from British Columbia.

“We grieve the loss of our beautiful, loving daughter and sister,” her family said in a written statement Sunday.

“She had room in her heart for everyone and believed strongly that every person was to be valued and respected.” 

The family, from Castlegar, B.C., said Archibald worked at a homeless shelter before she moved to Europe to be with her fiancé.

“She would have had no understanding of the callous cruelty that caused her death,” the statement said.

“Please honor her by making your community a better place. Volunteer your time and labor or donate to a homeless shelter. Tell them Chrissy sent you.” 

Earlier Sunday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed a Canadian was among those killed in a terror attack on London Bridge and a bustling market in the U.K. capital, .

Trudeau said in a written statement released Sunday that the government wouldn't be commenting further on the death out of respect for the family.

The attack began at about 10 p.m. local time Saturday, when three men drove a van into pedestrians on London Bridge, police said. The attackers, wielding blades and knives, then ran down a set of stairs into Borough Market where they stabbed people in several different restaurants.

The attack lasted about eight minutes, police said, but seven people were killed and at least 48 were hospitalized.

The attackers were shot dead by police, and 12 people have been arrested in Barking in east London. Raids are going on elsewhere in the city.

The Canadian government is advising citizens to be vigilant in the wake of the attack. The government and diplomats on the ground in London are advising travellers to avoid the affected areas, follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor local media.

Governor General David Johnston tweeted about the attack, calling it "evil and senseless."

 

He said he was "heartbroken to learn that a Canadian is among those who lost their lives."

 

Trudeau said Canada would stand with the U.K. in the fight against terrorism.

"We grieve with the families and friends of those who have lost loved ones, and wish all those injured a speedy and full recovery," Trudeau said. "Londoners and people across the United Kingdom have always displayed strength and resilience in the face of adversity. We recently witnessed this after the attacks in Manchester and in the Westminster area of London. This time will be no different."

Opposition leader Andrew Scheer said in a written statement Sunday that Canada and the U.K. have historically stood "shoulder to shoulder" against threats.

 

"I do not want to see my children grow up in a world where they are afraid to go to the mall, or a concert, or travel the world," Scheer said. "This is why Canada, and our allies, must be fully committed to confronting and destroying this terrorist threat."

 

This is the third attack in Britain in as many months. Two weeks ago, a suicide bomber blew himself up at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, in northwest England, killing 22 people and injuring dozens more. In March, a British convert to Islam ran down people with a vehicle on Westminster Bridge, killing four before fatally stabbing a police officer on Parliament's grounds.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said Sunday that police had recently foiled five other plots.

May characterized the latest attack as the work of Islamic extremists, but no group has yet claimed responsibility.

With files from The Canadian Press