Mark Rigby makes sure to stay close to a friend at all times, and his parents have told him not to be outside after dark – precautions the student never imagined would be needed in his quiet corner of suburban Toronto.

But recent tensions between his country and some members of the muslim community, including  pro ISIS  groups, over Canada's involvement in Iraq, have led to a fear of religiously motivated murders in an area of Toronto with a large muslim population. Corporal Nathan Cirillo was one such victim.

“[My parents] are afraid of hate crimes towards the non-Muslim community, especially since that’s been on the rise lately,” said Mr. Rigby, a high-school student in Mississauga.