mosque member Lhoussine El Manoug has recalled meeting Bissonette last Thursday at the site, believing the young man was interested in learning about Islam.
"He said, 'J'aime Allah [I love Allah],'" El Manoug told CBC News, after explaining how he recognised the suspect instantly in news reports.
"I was trying to explain to him that Allah, it's the same God as the Jews and the Christians."
El Manoug revealed that Bissonette had also started talking about how much he loved he loved kebabs.
"I told him we were talking about religion, not food," said El Manoug.
When Bissonette said he needed money to travel to Montreal, El Manoug replied that he did not have any money and suggested they continue the conversation outside the mosque, which was converted from a former bank in 2010.
El Manoug suspected the man did not know anything about Islam, but he saw nothing to alarm him in their five minute conversation.
He added: "I thought he was someone who was simply ignorant."