Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says that, while Canada鈥檚 threat level remains unchanged following last week鈥檚 terror attacks in Paris, Canadians should remain alert.
Speaking at a press conference in Ottawa on Wednesday afternoon, Goodale said the government is being 鈥渆xtra vigilant鈥� as they continue to monitor the situation in Paris and around the world.
"Based on what we know now, there is no rationale for changing Canada's current threat level,鈥� said Goodale. 鈥淎long those same lines, I would urge Canadians themselves to be alert in the wake of these very troubling circumstances.鈥�
Goodale was joined by RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Director Michel Coulombe and Canada Border Services Agency President Linda Lizotte-MacPherson.
According to Coulombe, Canada鈥檚 threat level remains unchanged from October, 2014, when it was raised from 鈥渓ow鈥� to 鈥渕edium鈥� days before the Oct. 22 attack on the War Memorial and Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
The press conference held at Public Safety Canada鈥檚 headquarters on Wednesday, comes days after a series of gun and bomb attacks in Paris that left 129 dead and 350 injured.
Since the attacks, several places of worship and a Muslim woman have been targeted in Canada. , Goodale said Canadians need to support their fellow citizens now more than ever.
鈥淲e also need to reject and condemn acts of perverted vigilante retribution; the hateful, abusive intolerance that has marred several Canadian communities over the past few days,鈥� said Goodale.
鈥淭errorists will not change our values or the quality of Canadian life.鈥�
In light of the Paris attacks, the Liberal government has faced calls to slow down its commitment to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year. But Goodale said the government is still working towards that goal, adding that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister John McCallum and Health Minister Jane Philpott will release those details at the earlier possible date.
Speaking to CTV鈥檚 Power Play, Wesley Wark, visiting professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, said he supports the Liberals鈥� commitment to go 鈥渇ull steam ahead鈥� with the Syrian refugee plan. However, he questioned the government鈥檚 intentions to pull out of the combat mission against ISIS in Syria and Iraq, in light of the Paris attacks.
鈥淚 think this is just a very ill-timed announcement. They could have played it different kinds of ways, even if their ultimate intention was to withdraw. But it doesn鈥檛 show much solidarity with the French,鈥� said Wark. 鈥淚t just, I think, shows the wrong kind of message.鈥�
Wark said he thinks the government should have kept quiet immediately after the Paris attacks and reflected more on the country鈥檚 contribution to the combat mission. Canada鈥檚 commitment to the fight against ISIS is scheduled to end in March 2016.
