Survivor of Belleville, Ont., synagogue shooting cites need for extensive security

OTTAWA – One of the leaders of the Belleville, Ont., synagogue that was targeted by a gunman in September says costly enhanced security measures are needed to ensure the safety of congregants.

Police have described the Sept. 20 attack as a thwarted attempt at a mass killing of Jewish worshippers at the start of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

Police say the shooter had multiple guns, large amounts of ammunition and gasoline and the motive to carry out an extended attack when he opened fire on an officer stationed outside the Sons of Jacob Synagogue.

Shima Vigodda, vice-president of the synagogue, told a news conference on Parliament Hill on Monday that before the shooting, the institution’s security priorities were things like replacing windows broken in acts of vandalism and installing burglar alarms.

An existing federal program that helps places of worship make security improvements was adequate for such modest expenses, he indicated.

But Vigodda, who survived the gunman’s assault, said it has become clear that more expensive measures are necessary — improvements the Canada Community Security Program would not fully cover.

He said those measures include things like installing bullet-resistant glass, replacing inner and outer doors, building a safe room, installing fencing to slow or halt a would-be attacker, and having security personnel or armed police on site.

“These measures are necessary not only to ensure our physical security, but to deter would-be attackers,” Vigodda said. “For many in our congregation who were there on Yom Kippur, it is also a necessity for them to feel comfortable enough to return to the synagogue.”

Approved proposals under the federal security program are eligible for funding to cover up to 70 per cent of project costs, with a maximum Public Safety Canada contribution of $5 million per project.

Vigodda said that even with the program, smaller communities struggling to ensure adequate security while trying to cover other expenses face “an agonizing and sometimes impossible choice.”

Noah Shack, chief executive of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, told the news conference the federal budget, being tabled Thursday, is an opportunity for the Liberal government to build on its new national security strategy by investing in counter-radicalization, intelligence and counterterrorism.

He said the centre is working closely with Public Safety Canada to strengthen the Canada Community Security Program, “so that every institution can access the support it needs, and that the program is intended to provide, regardless of its financial circumstances.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2026.

— With files from Alyssa Wheeler in Ottawa and Paola Loriggio in Toronto