HAMILTON, ONTARIO, August 19, 2006: The Hindu Samaj Temple will receive a commemorative plaque from the city five years after the temple was burned to the ground in a misguided hate crime after 9/11. The plaque, approved by the city council, commemorates the way people from all over the city came together to help rebuild the temple, said Anna Bradford, manager of culture for the city. That effort “is a part of the history of the city.” The temple was torched and destroyed on Sept. 15, 2001, by arsonists who thought it linked to Islam. The plaque, to be unveiled Sept. 10, also notes that spiritual and other local leaders came together after the fire to establish the Strengthening Hamilton’s Community Initiative to combat hate crimes in the city. Despite the community support, however, part of the construction of the new temple has been halted because there isn’t enough money to cope with mounting costs.
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