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The Filipino community and others in Vancouver will come together Sunday to remember, celebrate and mourn victims of the attack at the Lapu Lapu Day festival almost a year ago.
Eleven people were killed and dozens more were hurt when an SUV drove down a crowded street near the end of the celebration last year.
Sunday’s Lapu Lapu Day of Togetherness will be held at the Italian Cultural Centre in East Vancouver, a venue that organizer Filipino BC says will allow for enhanced safety planning and a supportive environment.
Filipino BC says in a statement that it recognizes some in the community feel it’s too soon to gather again, but it believes “coming together is an important part of healing.”
The event is being held despite opposition from some survivors and victims’ relatives, including Alejandro Samper, whose mother, father and sister were killed, and who says it will only open wounds for many who are still grieving.
Adam Kai-Ji Lo faces 11 charges of second-degree murder and 31 counts of attempted murder for the April 26, 2025, attack, although no date for his trial has been set.
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Mable Elmore, the member of the legislature for Vancouver-Kensington, says she has attended a few of the events this month to remember the victims, but she won’t be at the Filipino BC celebration in order to “honour the request from victims and survivors.”
There will be a heavy presence of Vancouver police officers at the event, and spokesman Const. Darren Wong says vehicle barriers will be in place around the centre.
Police said last year shortly after the attack that it had been assessed as a low-risk event and there was no indication that it would be the target of such an attack.
A report for the provincial government conducted by former B.C. Supreme Court chief justice Christopher Hinkson after the attack recommended that all public events in the province, regardless of size, should be supported by a risk assessment.
It called for a provincial events hub for sharing information and advice on protecting the public during celebrations and other events.
Filipino BC says that while some have said they don’t want the event held, others in the community are of a different mindset.
“We are honoured to see such a strong and thoughtful response, including an outpouring of support and affirmations of attendance from community members, leaders, first responders, and elected officials at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels,” the group’s statement said.
Filipino BC says the free event will focus in the morning on “reflection, remembrance, and community engagement” before shifting toward “connection, arts, and cultural expression” in the afternoon
Lapu Lapu Day, celebrated each April 27, is named after a Filipino national hero whose forces defeated those of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.
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