Calgarians show solidarity in grief at vigil for victims of Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy
Mourners gathered at city hall on Wednesday after 11 died at a Vancouver street festival on Saturday
Members of Calgary's Filipino community gathered at city hall on Wednesday evening to leave flowers and candles, share messages of solidarity, and support one another while mourning the tragic deaths that occurred in Vancouver on Saturday.
Eleven people were killed and dozens were injured at the Lapu-Lapu Day block party in Vancouver on Saturday after a car rammed into a crowd of people. The victims ranged in age from five to 65 years old.
A province away, the tragedy hit hard in Alberta. The event was meant to celebrate Filipino-Canadian heritage and culture, and roughly 22 per cent of the country's Filipino population lives in Alberta, according to 2021 census data.
Sherwin Antonio, one of the vigil's organizers, said he and the rest of the team behind the event immediately wanted to create a space for people to show solidarity and acknowledge the gravity of the tragedy in Vancouver.
"The Filipino community's strength and resilience are essential in times of loss," Antonio said. "Violence doesn't define our community. Our identity is rooted in compassion and unity, and healing is a collective journey."
Canadian Blood Services has said appointments are filling up in Vancouver to donate blood after the Lapu-Lapu Day event. Antonio encouraged people in Calgary and across Canada to donate blood as well, if they can, to show support.
LISTEN | Local reaction to Vancouver festival tragedy:
Isa Carlin, who lived in Vancouver for five years before moving to Calgary in April, had friends who attended the Lapu-Lapu Day event on Saturday who fortunately were not hurt in the incident. They said mourning and supporting the community since the weekend has been difficult, but grieving around others has helped them feel more connected.
"Something that I really appreciate with all of the vigils that I've seen, everywhere I've seen, is our focus on the collective," Carlin said.
"We're not abandoning people to grieve individually, but it's about our collective strength."
Consul General Emma Sarne spoke at the vigil in Calgary, saying that she hopes to see planned celebrations for Filipino-Canadian culture throughout this year remain safe spaces where history can be honoured.
"The Lapu-Lapu festival was meant to be a joyful celebration, a tribute to the bravery of our ancestors and the strength of our heritage. And like so many Filipino fiestas, it was meant to be open to all," Sarne said.
Nic Nuy, a member of the Filipino community who attended the Calgary vigil, said he immediately felt fear when he heard the news on Saturday. His parents recently moved to Vancouver and he knew it was very possible they could have attended the festival.
"It really hit close to home seeing my community get so affected by this," Nuy said. "Just seeing the amount of mourning that the entire Filipino-Canadian community has had, it just felt important for me to be here."
Nuy added that he's been encouraging people to reach out to their Filipino friends and relatives to check on them, and said those who need support shouldn't be afraid to reach out as well.
"Even if you can't go out and donate blood or you just aren't in the financial situation where you can donate money, it's important to get the word out there," Nuys said.
"Share their stories, share how these people were just trying to have fun with their community and celebrate our culture, and tragedy struck."
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With files from Karina Zapata