Funeral services will take place Thursday in Montreal for several victims of the Quebec City mosque shooting.
Mayor Denis Coderre said services will take place in the afternoon for Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, and Aboubaker Thabti.
"We are all suffering from it. It's not just the Muslim community. It's all the people of Quebec," said Coderre.
The bodies of the three men will be prepared according to custom at the Muslim Funeral Centre Thursday – the only Muslim funeral home in the province. Their families will have time to grieve privately.
“We will leave the families for an intimate moment so they can see the deceased one last time,” said funeral director Omar Chikh.
Chikh said the bodies will be prepared in the morning, and that the processional cortege will arrive at the arena at 11:30 a.m.
The funeral service will begin at 1 p.m. with speeches from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Monreal Mayor Denis Coderre, and the Consuls-General of Tunisia and Algeria. Prayers will be offered for the other three men slain in the attack.
Organizers said they were planning to hold the funerals at a local mosque, but decided to find a larger venue when they realized two to three thousand people may attend.
The public is invited to show up at Maurice Richard Arena as of 11:30 a.m.
“It's important in those times of grieving and those times of adversity that we all stick together and show solidarity,” said Coderre. “We're all suffering from it. It's not just the Muslim community, it's not just the people of Quebec. It's everybody's suffering from that.”
Members of the Muslim community expressed Wednesday their appreciation for the opportunity for everyone to mourn together.
“It's all about all of our community – the Canadian and Quebec community,” said Marouan Hamdi, Muslim community coordinator.
Belkacemi, 60, was an agricultural sciences professor at Université Laval. Born in Algeria, his wife taught in the same department. They have three children.
Hassane, 41, originally from Algeria, was a father of three daughters and worked in information technology for the government.
Thabti, 44, immigrated to Canada from Tunisia ten years ago. He was a pharmacist's aide and had two children, and frequently helped other immigrants and refugees.
Following the funeral service their bodies will be flown back to their countries of birth.
Funeral plans for the other three men are expected to take place Friday in Quebec City.
Montreal police officers said they will provide security and will be dressed in full, regulation uniforms.
Memorial mass in Quebec
On Tuesday evening the Archbishop of Quebec, Cardinal Gerald Lacroix, led a special mass for the victims of Sunday's terrorist attack.
Hundreds of people of many faiths filled the pews at the Notre Dame de Foy church across the street from the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre.
Lacroix said the moment of grief was a time for Muslims and non-Muslims to come together.
The cardinal was in Rome when the attack occurred, and he said that Pope Francis gave him an embrace upon hearing of the deaths.
Lacroix then gave that embrace to Boufelja Benabdalla, co-founder of the mosque.
For many, the most touching moment was when Benabdalla said that in his culture, if you love someone, you tell them.
He then raised his head and uttered the words "Je vous aime" -- I love you all.
Those in attendance rose to their feet and gave him a standing ovation when Benabdalla said he loves Quebec and his fellow Quebecers despite the pain one man has caused.
At the end of the mass everyone turned to hug the person beside them at the end of the mass, to offer solace and comfort.
