Rev. Eric Morin simply wanted his neighbours to know they are not alone.

The Anglican Minister of Christ Church in Aylmer, Quebec, decided to hastily organize a vigil down the road at the local mosque.

It was his way of sending a message in the wake of Sunday’s mass shooting at a mosque in Quebec City. “When we stand alone we often are more easily victimized than when we stand together in solidarity, where we can say no to violence in a non-violent way and stop the downward cycle," he says.

He wasn’t sure how many people would show up. It quickly turned out to be hundreds, spilling out onto the street until Imam Mohammed Lahlou invited the crowd inside.

They came from many walks of life, and many faiths. “These are our neighbours,” says United Church Reverend Susan Butler-Jones. “We want to gather with them.”

For many, it was their first time setting foot in the local mosque. But the gathering wasn’t about having a particular faith, it was about having faith in each other. “People are people. They do not have labels, says Lloyd De Vere Hunt. “They are the sum of many things in their lives and they're all important to me."

For those who do worship at the Aylmer Mosque, it was a welcome show of support in a difficult time. “This is great,” says Khallad Karime. “This shows how much we all feel saddened by what happened in Quebec.

And it wasn’t the only last-minute, grass-roots show of support in the capital region. In Gatineau’s Hull sector, people walked from St. Joseph’s Cathedral to the Outaouais Islamic Centre.

Across the river, Muslims and non-Muslims stood shoulder-to-shoulder at a vigil outside the Kanata Recreation Complex. “It's a source of healing for everyone and it sends a message to all of our sisters and brothers in Quebec that they are in our hearts and they're in our prayers," says Hafsa Khan.

The largest gathering in the Capital Region was on Parliament Hill where a few thousand gathered around the Centennial flame in solidarity with Quebec City.

But the smaller, grass-roots gatherings seemed to be more about sending a message to the neighbours. “You are not alone.”

Back at the Aylmer Mosque, Imam Lahlou had a simple, heartfelt response, “I would like to say thanks to everyone.”