Filipino BC has announced that it will host its annual Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver on April 19 to "reflect on shared healing" a year after a vehicle ramming attack at the last festival killed 11 people.
The Italian Cultural Centre is donating space for the festival, instead of holding the event on community streets, in a move organizers say is about prioritizing safety.
On April 26 last year, a vehicle plowed down a crowded street of festival goers, resulting in Adam Kai-Ji Lo being charged with 11 counts of second-degree murder and 31 counts of attempted murder.
Filipino BC calls this year's festival the Lapu Lapu Day of Togetherness, with a focus on "reflection and communal healing," and those attending are encouraged to take part in ways that "feel meaningful to them and supportive of their individual healing needs."
The group says the festival will feature a comprehensive safety plan, including controlled access, defined entry points, trained security and co-ordination with emergency services.
Filipino BC board member Céline Loriot says in a statement that the event isn't about moving on from what happened, but about "moving forward together, with survivors, families, and the broader community, to reclaim space for healing, cultural pride, and collective care."
"We want people to know that however they choose to engage, or even if they choose not to, that choice is respected.”
It says detailed schedules on programming for the festival will be released later.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Tanouye
