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CTV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Criticism of Lapu Lapu memorial concert surprises Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim
People bow their heads during a time of remembrance during a memorial for the Lapu Lapu Day festival victims, in Vancouver, on Saturday, May 31, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns 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 Nono Shen, The Canadian Press, was first published June 4, 2025.
Global News
5 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
CTV News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Criticism of Lapu Lapu memorial concert surprises Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim
People bow their heads during a time of remembrance during a memorial for the Lapu Lapu Day festival victims, in Vancouver, on Saturday, May 31, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns 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 Nono Shen, The Canadian Press, was first published June 4, 2025.
Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Vancouver Mayor, Filipino advocacy group at odds over Lapu Lapu memorial event
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says he's surprised by criticism of plans for a large memorial event this month to honour victims of the Lapu Lapu festival attack, which a Filipino advocacy group says was arranged without proper consultation. Filipino BC says it wasn't told in advance about a vote approving the event by the city council on Tuesday, 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 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. Sim says in a statement Wednesday that his office was surprised by Filipino BC's criticism given what he calls 'ongoing and regular communication' with the organization. He says there was a meeting with Filipino BC on Friday, attended by its executive director, where the memorial 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. Kirby-Yung had told the council meeting the Filipino community had been working with the mayor's office and was comfortable with the event. Remembering the Vancouver attack victims Filipino BC said in its statement issued later Tuesday that '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. Kirby-Yung said she was advised by the mayor's office to bring the motion forward, on behalf of B.C. MLA Mable Elmore and that Filipino BC was engaged in the plans. Councillors Peter Fry and Lucy Maloney had questioned whether the Filipino community was aware of the motion, but it ultimately passed unanimously. Elmore – who is of Filipino heritage and was at the Lapu Lapu Festival when the attack took place – issued a statement on Wednesday saying the event that she described as a benefit concert 'is 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.
