Vancouver marks one year since Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy with memorials across city

Memorials and gatherings were held crossways george vancouver on lord's day to deutschmark unity year since a car ramming at the city’s Lapu-Lapu Day festival killed 11 people and injured many others.

At Mountain View Cemetery, near the scene of the incident at Fraser and East 41st Ave, an open-air memorial organized by the Philippine Nurses Association of B.C. Drew community members throughout the day.

Rows of placards bearing the names of those killed were placed in the temporary memorial site as many laid flowers while others paused to pray — each marking the day in their own way.

A formal wreath-laying was held at the site around 8 p.m., when local officials and community organizers laid wreaths, marking the time the tragedy unfolded on April 26, 2025.

Vancouver marks first anniversary of Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy with memorials across city

For some, returning to the site has been deeply emotional.

“It comes back how it happened,” said Rose Mary Ranes-Villamayor.

Ranes-Villamayor, a member of the non-profit True North Hinirang Eagles Club, said she and others from her group were among the first to help victims on the scene.

She said they called 911 and helped people who were injured on the ground until paramedics arrived.

“It still saddens us,” she said. “As Filipinos, in happiness and in sadness, we are all together in this.”

Community members attended events throughout the day, including a memorial mass at St. Mary’s Parish. 

For many survivors, the anniversary is a reminder of the pain endured over the past year and the long road to recovery.

Christi-Ann Watkins, who performed at the festival along with her 11-year-old son Know, says she is still in pain from the many injuries she sustained that day.

“One year later, my body doesn’t feel like it belongs to me,” said Watkins, who was injured. “I’m still going to my clinic four times a week… I’m working really, really hard.”

Blaine Redlac, who lost his partner of 10 years, Jendhel May Sico, in the tragedy, said he continues to struggle with the trauma.

“I witnessed my spouse violently die,” said Redlac. “This is severe, like I'm diagnosed with severe PTSD and I'm working on it with a professional.”

Flags flew at half mast at the B.C. Legislature and at city halls around the Lower Mainland to mark a year since the car ramming overshadowed what was supposed to be a joyful street celebration for the city's vibrant Filipino diaspora. 

Mayor Ken Sim said his thoughts are with the families of those who died and everyone whose lives were changed that day.

“Vancouver has demonstrated real strength in how people have supported one another through this, and that matters as we take time to remember,” he said in a statement earlier this week. 

In a statement Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney described what unfolded that day as a “senseless act of violence” that "left a profound void in the hearts of families, loved ones, and Filipino communities across Canada." 

Survivors call for more support a year after Lapu-Lapu Day attack

Carney says it's a "solemn day" to remember the victims of the vehicle attack, who have shown "strength, solidarity and compassion" when faced with "unimaginable loss and grief." 

B.C. Premier David Eby says the attack was an "unspeakable and unprecedented tragedy" that remains as incomprehensible a year later as it did on the day of the attack.

He says the anniversary is a time to honour and mourn the victims and to "stand in solidarity with the Filipino community and all whose lives have been forever changed by this tragedy."

The Lapu-Lapu Day festival was first held in Vancouver in 2024 and celebrates Filipino culture. It is named after a Filipino chief who fought against Spanish colonization.  

This year’s event, renamed the Lapu-Lapu Day of Togetherness, was held last weekend at the Italian Cultural Centre on Slocan Street instead of the original location.

Organizers said the gathering focused on healing and connection, guided by the Filipino concept of bayanihan, which emphasizes collective care and community support.

The event also drew a protest, with some questioning how more than $1.5 million in donations for victims has been distributed.

Filipino B.C., which organizes the festival, says it has been transparent and continues to support those affected by covering care and service costs rather than providing direct payments.

Kai-Ji Adam Lo has been charged with 11 counts of second-degree murder and 31 counts of attempted murder in relation to the car ramming.

The tragedy prompted an outpouring of support for B.C.'s Filipino Canadian community, as well as calls for more government supports for those affected.

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