Latest news with #SarahKirby-Yung
Global News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
Confusion surrounds Vancouver's Lapu Lapu ‘memorial event'
There appears to be some controversy surrounding the City of Vancouver's plan to hold an event to honour the victims of the Lapu Lapu tragedy. Council has unanimously voted to move ahead with what has been described as a 'memorial event.' The motion, brought by Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung, outlines an event called 'Come Together; Vancouver Strong' at Rogers Arena in June, but no specific date has been set. R.J. Aquino, chair of Filipino BC, says that while victims and families support a benefit concert, a 'memorial event' felt 'inappropriate and ill-advised.' Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said that the council met with Filipino BC as recently as Friday and the event was discussed. Sim says his office has reached out to Filipino BC to seek clarification and reaffirm a shared commitment to ensuring the event is done with the community. Story continues below advertisement Vancouver-Kensington MLA Mable Elmore, who was at the festival when the tragedy happened, said this may be a case of misinformation. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'There was an error in terms of that motion,' she told Global News. 'It referenced a memorial event. We agreed on the first meeting it's going to be characterized as a benefit or concert in terms of that's more accurate.' The City of Vancouver has approved $50,000 to cover any cost overruns of the event while Rogers Arena has agreed to host the event. Eleven people were killed and dozens injured when an SUV drove into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu festival on April 26. Kai Ji Adam Lo is charged with eight counts of second-degree murder in connection with the incident. Story continues below advertisement On May 30, Lo appeared by video link from hospital, and his appearance was drastically different than at the time of his arrest. Dressed in black, he sat quietly during the proceedings. Provincial Court Judge Reg Harris confirmed he had received and read a mental health assessment. Lo is due back in court this month. — with files from The Canadian Press
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Criticism of Lapu Lapu memorial concert surprises Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim
VANCOUVER - Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said he was surprised by criticism of plans to honour victims of the Lapu Lapu festival attack with a large memorial event, which a Filipino advocacy group said lacked consultation and felt 'too soon' for some in the community. The benefit concert is set to be staged at Rogers Arena sometime this month, with the city footing up to $50,000 in production costs and the owners of the Vancouver Canucks offering the venue and its staff at no cost. 'It is not lost on me that we are now in June, and this is typically Filipino Heritage Month,' said Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung, who moved the 'time-sensitive' motion on the event. But soon after Vancouver's council unanimously approved the 'Come Together: Vancouver Strong' event, Filipino BC released a statement saying it wasn't told in advance about the vote, and the city should be prioritizing emergency recovery funding for those affected by the April 26 tragedy in which 11 people were killed and dozens hurt. The group was the organizer of the Lapu Lapu Day festival and has advocated for victims and the Filipino community. It said it had not been notified of the motion, and 'the timing, tone and format of such an event should be aligned with victims and the communities impacted.' 'While we understand the city's desire to create space for collective mourning and healing, it is critical that this process centres the voices of the families and affected communities,' it said. Sim said the remarks caught him by surprise. He said in a statement Wednesday that there had been 'ongoing and regular communication' with Filipino BC. 'We had met with Filipino BC as recently as this past Friday, and the executive director participated directly in that meeting,' he said. 'Come Together: Vancouver Strong was discussed at that meeting, including the need to bring an urgent motion to council … as any work being done needed approval from council.' RJ Aquino, who chairs Filipino BC, said in another statement later Wednesday that the group was not consulted on the content and specifics of the motion, and the problem was not about communication with Filipino BC. 'We heard from the community, including victims and families, that while they are in support of a benefit concert, the motion for a memorial event felt inappropriate and ill advised. They also told us an event in June feels too soon,' Aquino said. 'We understand that the city had not reached out to the victims and families before this motion.' Others are enthusiastic about the event, including Christian Cunanan, president of the United Filipino Canadian Association of British Columbia. He said the group had extended 'full and unwavering support' for the city's planned event. 'We welcome the city's commitment of funding toward the planned event. This show of solidarity is both meaningful and appropriate,' read the statement. Kirby-Yung said she had been advised by the mayor's office to bring the motion forward on behalf of B.C. MLA Mable Elmore. Elmore — who is of Filipino heritage and was at the Lapu Lapu festival when the attack took place — also issued a statement on Wednesday calling the event a 'welcome step toward healing.' 'Mayor Sim, his staff, Filipino BC, and other stakeholders have been present at the table and working together to prepare for 'Come Together: Vancouver Strong,'' Elmore said. She said the concert will help the community and the city to 'emerge stronger and more united.' Adam Kai-Ji Lo faces second-degree murder charges over the attack, in which an SUV was driven at high speed through a crowd of festival attendees. Thursday marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for victims according to Catholic tradition. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- General
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. Filipino community group upset with Vancouver council's sudden Lapu Lapu Day memorial event decision
A sudden Vancouver city council decision to host a Lapu Lapu Day memorial event at Rogers Arena this month was made without input from impacted families, according to Filipino B.C. On Tuesday night, councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung (on behalf of Mayor Ken Sim who was absent) brought forward an urgent motion authorizing the city to sign an agreement with Canucks Entertainment Corp to use Rogers Arena — free of charge — for an event this month to remember the April 26 tragedy that left 11 people dead. No date has been set for the 'Come Together: Vancouver Strong' event, with Ticketmaster agreeing to waive its fees for tickets that will be sold at low cost. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Kirby-Yung told council that there had been discussions with Filipino B.C. around the event. However, following council's unanimous decision to support the event, Filipino B.C. spokesperson Crystal Laderas said that while they had been informed there would be a large scale event in June (which is also Filipino Heritage Month), no impacted families had yet been consulted. 'We were not notified about the urgent motion that Vancouver city hall voted on this afternoon,' Laderas said. 'In May, Filipino B.C. and other community groups were invited to a City of Vancouver-hosted roundtable to discuss what a potential memorial event could look like. During that meeting, we expressed that any event, public tribute or memorial should be done in close consultation with the families of the victims, and should be shaped and directed by the community. 'While we understand the city's desire to create space for collective mourning and healing, it is critical that this process centres the voices of the families and affected communities. 'We believe the City of Vancouver should prioritize emergency recovery funding. While we are supporting families by connecting them with financial aid, providing temporary accommodations and other services, we have not engaged with them about a memorial event. 'There is space and need for both intimate, community-led events and a broader large-scale tribute to encourage wider collective healing. However, the timing, tone and format of such an event should be aligned with victims and the communities impacted. We urge the City of Vancouver to remain accountable to that principle and to prioritize long-term recovery support as part of its commitment to those impacted.' Kai-ji Adam Lo, 30, was arrested on April 26 after a black SUV was driven through a crowd of people 15 minutes after the end of a daylong festival held by Vancouver's Filipino community to celebrate Lapu Lapu Day near 41st Avenue and Fraser Street in east Vancouver. dcarrigg@
Global News
20-05-2025
- General
- Global News
Oppenheimer Park residents say new restrictions issued after playground opening cancelled
Residents of Vancouver's Oppenheimer Park say the Park Board has issued a new restriction on the amount of belongings that unhoused people living in the park are allowed to have. They said this comes after an official opening for a new playground in the park was cancelled on Friday and residents believe the new restriction is related to that event. Sarah Kirby-Yung, a Vancouver city councillor with ABC Vancouver, told Global News there has been no change to the park sheltering bylaw, which allows people to shelter in public parks overnight but all tents must be taken down by 7 a.m. the next day. 'There have been no changes to that whatsoever,' she said. 'What was supposed to be a fun, celebratory experience for residents in the Downtown Eastside of a brand new, upgraded playground — which is desperately needed — you have a neighbourhood that is deficient in park space, of amenities, shade and trees and honestly has some of the lowest incomes in the city and that space is desperately needed by communities… to suggest that opening a playground has anything to do with the park sheltering bylaw is completely false.' Story continues below advertisement In a statement to Global News, the Park Board said the playground had already opened to the community earlier this month and the celebration planned for Friday was intended to be a casual gathering to recognize the playground renewal. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Unfortunately, on Friday, we were not ready to hold the event because of a variety of unforeseen circumstances including the poor weather and unavailability of key staff,' the statement said. 'We are currently considering a potential new date for rescheduling the event.' 1:53 Vancouver police and park rangers dismantle Oppenheimer Park tents Area resident Marten Hill said on Monday there were lots of children using the playground over the weekend. 'We are not used to this… it feels like it will be a common thing here, which is good,' he said. In a statement sent out on Friday, homeless activist Ryan Sudds said residents of Oppenheimer Park will be asking Vancouver Park Rangers to cease the escalation and any confiscation of belongings. Story continues below advertisement 'Instead, they will be asking to meet with Amit Gandha, director of the Park Board to discuss a compromise that will allow residents to keep their belongings. They are asking for two weeks for these negotiations to take place.' Sudds said they have not yet heard back from Gandha.
