Members of Parliament have held a moment of silence on the one-month anniversary of the deadly attack on the Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver, as members of the Filipino community and others continue to grapple with its impact.
Newly elected Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia says all parties in the House of Commons agreed to mark the occasion, with parliamentarians bowing their heads in observance of what he calls a "tragic event."
Advocacy group Filipino BC says in a statement marking the anniversary that witnesses, victims and their families are still navigating the "emotional aftermath" of the attack that killed 11 people and injured dozens more.
The statement says tragedies such as floods and fires leave tangible results, but the attack was a "social disaster" with invisible impacts on communities and their sense of safety and with no "clear perimeter."
Sammie Jo Rumbaua, a director with the Filipino non-profit Mabuhay House, says the society has been working with the community and other organizations as they grieve, amid a "sense of real urgency" to gather communally.
Rumbaua says prayers on June 5 will mark 40 days since the attack, a significant date in the Filipino Catholic tradition, but the tragedy "still feels very fresh."
"Survivors of violence and victims, they're not ready to talk," she said Monday. "A lot of them haven't been able to talk about the situation, (or) go back to the site."
She said many people from all communities affected by the attack are "really still reflecting on what has happened."
There have been several fundraisers for victims, and United Way BC says it has raised about $1.3 million.
Multiple fundraisers were held over the weekend, including in New Westminster, B.C., where "Soup Nazi" actor Larry Thomas, best known for his role as a strict soup seller on the sitcom "Seinfeld," served soup as part of a fundraiser at the Greens And Beans Deli on Sunday.
A three-kilometre run was held earlier that day at the Toronto Zoo to raise money for United Way's Kapwa Strong Fund, which offers grants to not-for-profit organizations supporting those affected by the attack.
And a tribute concert took place on Saturday in Surrey, B.C., hosted by the local Philippine Independence Day Society, which issued a statement saying nine Surrey families were impacted by the tragedy.
The attack on the Lapu Lapu Day festival took place on April 26 when an SUV rammed through a crowd, causing what Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai called the "darkest day" in the city's history.
Adam Kai-Ji Lo faces eight counts of second-degree murder and further charges are anticipated.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
