A rally in North York Saturday that drew an estimated 350,000 people called on the Canadian government to recognize Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi as the leader of Iran’s democratic transition after anti-government protests erupted in Iran at the end of last year.

Co-organizer Aveen Ghahremani said the focus of the demonstration Saturday is to make non-Iranians aware of the revolution and get them involved.

“We’re all here because of a lot of luck,” she said. “Some people in Iran are not as lucky.”

The message diaspora protesters hope to convey is that they stand behind those back in Iran, Ghahremani said.

“As Canadian Iranians, we see the difference in our lives in Iran as opposed to what it is here with the freedoms we have and the opportunities we have,” she told CBC Toronto. “I don’t think we should take that for granted.”

Organizers urge Canadian involvement in ‘ongoing national crisis’

People marched down Yonge Street to the beat of drums and chants of “King Reza Pahlavi.” Protesters held aloft and draped themselves in red, white and green flags emblazoned with a golden lion — the flag Iran used before the Islamic Republic came to power in 1979, toppling the previous monarchy.

Demonstrators called for an end to government repression in Iran as widespread protests inside the country have been met with violent crackdowns.

In a letter obtained by CBC Toronto, demonstration organizers urged the Government of Canada to take a “timely” and “constructive” step in Iran’s “ongoing national crisis.”

“For over four decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has ruled through systemic repression, widespread human rights violations, political violence, and the denial of fundamental freedoms,” it said. “Its political, moral, and legal legitimacy has been irreversibly eroded, and that is a reality evident both inside Iran and across the international community.”

In a statement to CBC Toronto Saturday evening, a Global Affairs Canada spokesperson said the Government of Canada will continue to “hold Iran accountable for its violations of human rights.”

“Canada strongly condemns the killing of protestors, the use of violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation tactics by the Iranian regime against its own people,” Samantha Lafleur said.

Lafleur added Canada listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization in June 2024.

“We will continue to take concrete action to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities, uphold international law and stand with the Iranian people as they seek freedom, dignity and respect for human rights,” she said.

In a news release Saturday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand announced Canada is imposing additional sanctions against seven people linked to Iranian state bodies.

“Canada is implementing these sanctions to address Iran’s use of transnational repression, violence and repressive tactics,” the release reads. “The imposition of these sanctions sends a clear message that Canada will not tolerate the Iranian regime’s attempts to intimidate, harm or silence voices inside or outside Iran.”

Iran’s use of proxy agents and criminal networks to silence critics through the use of harassment, surveillance and planned acts of violence in Europe and North America raised serious concerns, the statement adds.

“These actions threaten the sovereignty of other states and undermine the principles of international law and global peace and security.”

Police estimate nearly doubles

Toronto police originally estimated more than 200,000 people would gather at the solidarity rally, which is marching down Yonge Street Saturday.

In a statement to CBC Toronto Saturday evening, Toronto police said the Global Day of Action Rally in Toronto saw crowds estimated at 350,000.

Toronto police spokesperson Viktor Sarudi said the estimate of 200,000 people came in part from discussions with organizers.

“And it’s due to the trends from other turnouts at these types of solidarity rallies, the online momentum that this is gaining and the scale of similar events across other cities in North America and across the world,” he said.

Toronto police closed roads, including portions of Yonge Street and North York Boulevard, ahead of the protest. Sarudi said Toronto police partnered with the York Regional Police Service to ensure those at the rally are safe.

WATCH | What to know about the different versions of the Iranian flag appearing at protests:

The facts about Iran protest flags

Different versions of the Iranian flag have appeared at protests around the world. Here are the facts about what each of them represent.

In an update to social media Saturday afternoon, Toronto police said one person was arrested for assault at the demonstration at Yonge Street and Homewood Avenue around 3:15 p.m. Toronto police said further information would be released in a news release at a later time.

Calls to end Iran’s Islamic Republic

The rally is one of many happening worldwide Saturday as part of what Pahlavi labelled a global day of action. Pahlavi said Toronto, Munich and Los Angeles would be the main gathering points for Iranians living abroad to protest and call for regime change in Iran.

Sepideh Kaffash came all the way from Boston, Mass., for the demonstration. She says while there are weekly demonstrations at Copley Square, they were called to be somewhere different this time.

“What is important is that we show the world our unity,” she said. “This is our duty.”

“We don’t have any other option.”

Iran has been gripped by countrywide protests since late December, sparked by an ongoing economic crisis that has sent the country’s currency into freefall. While protesters were initially focused on Iran’s economy, demonstrators pivoted to calling for an end to Iran’s Islamic Republic, with some supporting the return of the ousted monarchy to power.

Iran’s government, which has cracked down on protests and implemented an internet blackout, said more than 3,000 people have been killed since protests broke out.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran, put the death toll at over 7,000.

Saturday’s rally comes two weeks after a major protest in Toronto’s Sankofa Square, which Toronto police estimated was attended by 150,000 people.

There, some protesters called for international intervention in Iran and an end to government repression.

“It’s hard to see that our friends and families in Iran are being kept in prison for no reason, being shot in the head for [using] their democratic voice,” said Nima Najafi, who attended the earlier protest and described Saturday’s rally as twice as large.

Iranian Canadian Jasmin Zandi, who is attending her fifth solidarity march Saturday, said her brother is a doctor back home.

“It’s one thing to see the pictures and videos, but to be there, to witness what’s happening, it’s quite a lot,” she said. “He’s a very strong man … But every time he calls us, he’s choked up, he’s crying.”

That’s why it’s important to stand up and unify, Zandi told CBC Toronto Saturday.

“It’s important to to hear our voice, their voice,” she said. “We stand together, we feel their pain.”

The TTC noted some bus route detours on its website ahead of the rally, but regular service has since resumed. In an post to social media Sunday evening, Toronto police said all roads had reopened.

Thousands of people gathered at David Lam Park in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday afternoon, calling for regime change in Iran as part of a series of protests taking place around the world.

Protesters chanted slogans against Iran’s clerical leadership and called for an end to government repression in Iran, as widespread protests inside the country have been met with violent crackdowns.

Demonstrators carried the lion-and-sun flag that was used before the Islamic Republic came to power in 1979, along with photos of people killed during recent unrest.

Many voiced support for Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, holding posters bearing his image and calling on him to play a role in Iran’s future political transition.

The rally in Vancouver is one of many happening worldwide Saturday, as part of what Pahlavi labelled a global day of action. Pahlavi said Toronto, Munich and Los Angeles would be the main gathering points for Iranians living abroad to protest and call for regime change in Iran.

About 350,000 people gathered in Toronto’s North York earlier Saturday, shutting down some major thoroughfares in the neighbourhood.

Police in Vancouver said they deployed dozens of extra officers to the downtown core in anticipation of more than 30,000 people gathering around David Lam Park. Vancouver Police Department says it’s one of five separate rallies taking place around the city Saturday. 

“People traveling in the downtown core may experience delays caused by crowds and road closures,” the VPD said in a statement Friday. 

Simon Fraser University international relations professor James Horncastle said the demonstrations reflect growing international attention on events in Iran.

“We are seeing a significant increase in terms of international pressure and awareness with regards to the situation in Iran,” Horncastle said. 

“Vancouver has a significant Persian population. Many individuals have family members there,” he said. “This is why we’re seeing basically people turn out from a wide variety of backgrounds for this protest, because it resonates so strongly.”

Nationwide protests have been shaking Iran for weeks. They started Dec. 28 in response to soaring prices, then turned into wider anti-government protests against the clerical rulers who have governed the country for nearly 50 years.

U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Iranians to keep protesting while he weighs military intervention in Iran. On Friday, Trump said regime change “seems” to be the “best thing that could happen” for Iran. 

WATCH | Thousands march in Vancouver echoing global calls for end to repression in Iran:

Thousands march in Vancouver echoing global calls for end to repression in Iran

Thousands of protesters gathered in Vancouver to stand in solidarity with those facing a violent crackdown and an ongoing internet blackout in Iran. As Janella Hamilton reports, the demonstration highlighted the deep desperation of the local Iranian Canadian community, with many attendees mourning lost loved ones and struggling to contact family members in Iran.

In a news release Saturday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand announced Canada is imposing additional sanctions against seven people linked to Iranian state bodies.

“Canada is implementing these sanctions to address Iran’s use of transnational repression, violence and repressive tactics,” the release reads. “The imposition of these sanctions sends a clear message that Canada will not tolerate the Iranian regime’s attempts to intimidate, harm or silence voices inside or outside Iran.”

Horncastle said international support such as Canada’s can play a role in maintaining pressure.

“If we’re wanting to actually see sustained as well as realistic change within Iran, this isn’t something that we can lose focus on,” he said. “So, these [rallies] actually help … keep up the incentive for the Canadian government … to keep up pressure on Iran.”

While some protesters see Pahlavi as a potential unifying figure, Horncastle noted his role remains uncertain.

“The question that’s not really being kind of answered right now, is if there is a regime change within Iran, what form is the government going to end up taking afterwards?” he said.

WATCH | Iran protests: Why it’s different this time:

Iran protests: Why it’s different this time

Protests have swept across Iran but it’s not the first time people have taken to the streets to demand change. For The National, CBC’s Ashley Fraser breaks down the key differences this time and why some say pressure has never been higher on the regime.

Iran’s government, which has cracked down on protests and implemented an internet blackout, said more than 3,000 people have been killed since protests broke out.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has historically been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran, has put the death toll at over 7,000.

Колишня держсекретарка Сполучених Штатів та опонентка Дональда Трампа на президентських виборах 2016 року Гілларі Клінтон розкритикувала позицію чинної адміністрації щодо війни в Україні.  

“Я вважаю, що позиція адміністрації Трампа щодо України є ганебною. Спроба змусити Україну погодитися на угоду про капітуляцію з Путіним – це ганьба. Думаю, зусилля, які Путін і Трамп докладають, щоб отримати вигоду зі страждань і смертей українського народу, є історичною помилкою і корупцією найвищого ступеня”, – наголосила вона під час панельної дискусії на полях Мюнхенської конференції з безпеки.

Клінтон додала, що зараз Україна бореться за демократію, цінності Заходу, втрачаючи тисячі людей. І нинішня війна відбувається через “манію однієї людини” контролювати українців, сказала вона, вочевидь маючи на увазі диктатора Путіна. 

На думку політикині, чинний президент США або не усвідомлює масштабів страждань українців, або йому просто байдуже.

Крім того, вона звинуватила Трампа у підриві західної єдності та міжнародних зобов’язань. За її словами, він зрадив Захід, статут НАТО і людські цінності. 

Інші заяви на полях Мюнхенської конференції з безпеки

Президент Литви Гітанас Науседа заявив, що Росія лише імітує переговорний процес, водночас намагаючись зламати дух українців. На його думку, Росія не готова до миру чи навіть переговорного процесу. 

Своєю чергою, голова Європарламенту Роберта Мецола розкритикувала ідею проведення виборів в Україні під час війни. За її словами, допускати цього не можна.

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One man is in custody following a stabbing incident in north Etobicoke.

Toronto police say they were called about an assault in the area of Albion Road and Islington Avenue just before 3 p.m. on Saturday.

When they arrived, they found a man suffering from a stab wound. He was taken to the hospital in serious but non-life threatening condition.

Investigators say another man was arrested at the scene.

The ages of the victim and the suspect were not released.

The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met today with G7 foreign ministers in Munich, Germany.  The leaders discussed pressing issues such as ongoing conflicts threatening peace and stability in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, as well as challenges to regional security in the Indo-Pacific and the Western Hemisphere.  The Secretary reiterated the United States’ commitment to promoting stability in Venezuela and negotiating an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.  Secretary Rubio and his counterparts reaffirmed the importance of strengthening G7 cooperation to address global threats to international peace and security. 

Students in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., will not be returning to their current high school following last week’s deadly mass shooting, the local school district said in a release.

In a letter to families dated Feb. 13, School District No. 59 (Peace River South) said future plans will prioritize student safety and well-being, adding the existing school site will not reopen.

“As we create our plans, the expectation is that we will not be returning to the current high school site,” superintendent Christy Fennell wrote.

Larry Neufeld, BC Conservative MLA for Peace River South, said the prospect of students returning to the building has been a major concern within the community.

“How can you imagine a paint job and a mural and then asking children to go back into that place? I can’t imagine,” Neufeld said in an interview with Global News.

“As an adult, I would not want to go into that location. Children should not be forced into that situation.”

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Neufeld said provincial leaders have assured him students will not be required to return to the existing school.

“There will be portables brought in, there will be other accommodations made, but students won’t be forced back into that building.”

The district said supports for students and families remain available at the community recreation centre, which is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“We know some families will want the stability of school routines, while others may not feel ready,” Fennell wrote.

“We will share plans over the next week that prioritizes emotional and physical safety through a trauma informed lens,” the statement further read.

The decision follows the Feb. 10 shooting in Tumbler Ridge, where a teen killed eight people. Police have identified the suspect as Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, who also died.

In the days since the tragedy in the small northeastern British Columbia community, recent memorials and vigils have taken place to honour the victims.

Nuefeld told Global News that the recent memorials and gatherings have provided an important space for grief and connection. “People went from being zombies to… allowing their emotions to be released.”

Friday night’s vigil brought many mourners together, including Prime Minister Mark Carney and opposition leader Pierre Polliviere.

“I’ve been in politics for about 16 months, and there is often a performative component to it, but what you saw yesterday was real,” Neufeld said.

BC RCMP say investigators and forensic teams continue to process the school and a nearby residence connected to the shooting.

Autopsies are expected to be completed by the end of the weekend.

More than 80 students, educators and first responders have been interviewed so far, with additional witness interviews ongoing, as the investigation progresses.

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The father of a student killed in a school shooting in southern Alberta almost 27 years ago says forgiveness was at the heart of how he tackled the tragedy.

Dale Lang lost his 17-year-old son, Jason, after the teen was shot by a fellow student in a hallway at W.R. Myers High School in Taber, Alta., about 300 kilometres southeast of Calgary, in 1999.

The 14-year-old shooter, who also wounded another student, was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted murder and sentenced as a youth to three years in jail and seven years of probation.

“In our case, God granted us the grace to be able to forgive the boy who killed our son, and that was hugely important for us,” he said in an interview Wednesday.

He shared his story again after a mass shooting Tuesday in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., left nine people dead, including the suspected 18-year-old shooter.

Police said the shooter killed her mother and 11-year-old stepbrother at a home in the town before gunning down a teacher and five students at the high school and taking her own life.

Lang said he doesn’t know enough of the details about what happened in B.C. to speak directly about it, other than to say it’s a tragedy.

“I’m very sad to know that Tumbler Ridge will be going through some difficult days ahead, to say the least, and particularly the families that have lost people,” said Lang.

“That’s a terrible tragedy that no one should have to go through.”

Grief takes time

In a small community, he said, everyone will be very affected. “It’s going to be part of the picture in the life of the community now for years and years to come.”

The process of grieving can be different for everybody, and it takes time, he added.

In his experience, forgiveness was the beginning of not getting “stuck in a place of anger and bitterness.”

He drew strength from his relationship with God, said the former Anglican minister.

“[It] is hard to explain to people, because it was so painful and so tragic. And even in the midst of all our tears, we were still able to begin the process of healing.”

He said one of the things that was useful for him and his wife was returning to the high school where Jason was shot to welcome kids back into their classrooms.

The Taber shooting was the first deadly high school shooting in Canada in about 20 years. It came eight days after a mass shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., where two students killed 12 students and one teacher before taking their own lives.

“It was a time when people, and young people, needed to feel like the world wasn’t falling apart on them,” Lang said. He added that students also needed to know they were cared for and could get through it.

“Over the years, we’ve had the kids that were in the school contact us or talk with us and let us know that it was a meaningful time for them in a difficult situation,” said Lang.

Lang wrote a book about the killing titled “Jason Has Been Shot!” along with his son Mark.

Lang said it’s something that wasn’t easy to put to paper, but he believes it was cathartic and brought comfort and healing to a lot of people.

Dandjinou takes another shot at gold in men’s 1,500m short-track

Will Dandjinou, Steven Dubois and Felix Roussel are up momentarily in the men’s 1,500-metre short-track.

Dandjinou anchored Canada to a silver in the mixed relay on Tuesday before finishing a disappointing fourth in the men’s 1,000 metres on Thursday, ending his bid for five medals in five events.

The back-to-back overall champion in the World Tour has a great opportunity to rebound in the 1,500 metres, where he’s favoured for gold after capturing the world title last year and winning seven of the 10 competitions on the tour over the past two seasons.

Dubois is also looking to bounce back after crashing out in qualifying for the 1,000 metres as the reigning world champion. A silver in the 1,500 metres was part of his three-medal haul at Beijing 2022.

Roussel, who skated with Dandjinou in the mixed relay final, picked up a silver in the 1,500 metres at the final World Tour stop of the season in November in the Netherlands.

Racing begins with the quarterfinals at 2:15 p.m. ET. The semis are at 3:49 p.m. ET and the final at 4:42 p.m. ET.

Saturday’s short-track slate also features the first round of qualifying for the women’s 1,000 metres at 3:01 p.m. ET and the women’s relay semifinals at 4:05 p.m. ET. Canada’s Courtney Sarault is involved in both after earning a silver in the mixed relay and a solo bronze in the 500 metres on Thursday.