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Memorials and gatherings are being held across Vancouver on Sunday to mark one year since a car ramming at the city\u2019s Lapu-Lapu Day festival killed 11 people and injured many others.<\/p>\n
The City of Vancouver says the anniversary is difficult for many and is encouraging people to gather in safe, respectful spaces to reflect and remember.<\/p>\n
The city says it continues to care for a temporary memorial at Mountain View Cemetery, near the scene of the incident at Fraser and East 41st Avenue and is asking community members to visit the memorial as a dedicated space to honour those lost.<\/p>\n
At the memorial site on Sunday, many laid flowers while others paused to pray \u2014 each marking the day in their own way.<\/p>\n
For some, returning to the site has been deeply emotional.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt comes back how it happened,\u201d said Rose Mary Ranes-Villamayor.<\/p>\n
Ranes-Villamayor, a member of the non-profit True North Hinirang Eagles Club, said she and others from her group were among the first to help victims on the scene.<\/p>\n
She said they called 911 and helped people who were injured on the ground until paramedics arrived.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777249634_843_default.jpg\")
A woman visits a memorial at Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver on the one-year anniversary of the Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy on April 26, 2026. (Radio-Canada)<\/p>\n
\u201cIt still saddens us,\u201d she said. \u201cAs Filipinos, in happiness and in sadness, we are all together in this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Community members are attending events throughout the day, including a walking memorial and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Mountain View Cemetery and a memorial mass at St. Mary\u2019s Parish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For many survivors, the anniversary is a reminder of the pain endured over the past year and the long road to recovery.<\/p>\n
Christi-Ann Watkins, who performed at the festival along with her 11-year-old son Know, says she is still in pain from the many injuries she sustained that day.<\/p>\n
![\"Signs](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777249635_335_default.jpg\")
Memorial signs bearing the names of the 11 people killed in the Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy were displayed at the memorial site. (Nav Rahi\/CBC)<\/p>\n
\u201cOne year later, my body doesn\u2019t feel like it belongs to me,\u201d said Watkins, who was injured. \u201cI\u2019m still going to my clinic four times a week\u2026 I\u2019m working really, really hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Blaine Redlac, who lost his partner of 10 years, Jendhel May Sico, in the tragedy, said he continues to struggle with the trauma.<\/p>\n
\u201cI witnessed my spouse violently die,\u201d said Redlac. \u201cThis is severe, like I’m diagnosed with severe PTSD and I’m working on it with a professional.\u201d<\/p>\n
‘A solemn day’<\/p>\n
Flags flew at half mast at the\u00a0B.C. Legislature and at city halls around the Lower Mainland to mark a year since the car ramming overshadowed what was supposed to be a joyful street celebration for the city’s vibrant Filipino diaspora.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Mayor Ken Sim said his thoughts are with the families of those who died and everyone whose lives were changed that day.<\/p>\n
\u201cVancouver has demonstrated real strength in how people have supported one another through this, and that matters as we take time to remember,\u201d he said in a statement earlier this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a statement Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney describes what unfolded that day on April 26, 2025, as a \u201csenseless act of violence\u201d that “left a profound void in the hearts of families, loved ones, and Filipino communities across Canada.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
WATCH | Some survivors seek transparency on how donations were distributed:![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777249635_127_default.jpg\")
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Lapu Lapu event divides Vancouver\u2019s Filipino community<\/p>\n
Nearly a year after 11 people were killed during Lapu Lapu Day celebrations in Vancouver, a scaled back event was disrupted by victims\u2019 family members protesting and looking for answers about where $450,000 in donations went.<\/p>\n
Carney says it’s a “solemn day” to remember the victims of the vehicle attack, who have shown “strength, solidarity and compassion” when faced with “unimaginable loss and grief.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
B.C. Premier David Eby says the attack was an “unspeakable and unprecedented tragedy” that remains as incomprehensible a year later as it did on the day of the attack.<\/p>\n
He says the anniversary is a time to honour and mourn the victims and to “stand in solidarity with the Filipino community and all whose lives have been forever changed by this tragedy.”<\/p>\n
![\"Several](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777249636_913_default.jpg\")
People stand in front of a memorial display at the cemetery paying their respects. (Radio-Canada)<\/p>\n
The Lapu-Lapu Day festival was first held in Vancouver in 2024 and celebrates Filipino culture. It is named after a Filipino chief<\/a> who fought against Spanish colonization. \u00a0<\/p>\n This year\u2019s event, renamed the Lapu-Lapu Day of Togetherness, was held last weekend at the Italian Cultural Centre on Slocan Street instead of the original location.<\/p>\n Organizers said the gathering focused on healing and connection, guided by the\u00a0Filipino concept of bayanihan<\/a>, which emphasizes collective care and community support.<\/p>\n The event also drew a protest, with some questioning how more than $1.5 million in donations for victims has been distributed.<\/p>\n Filipino B.C., which organizes the festival, says it has been transparent<\/a> and continues to support those affected by covering care and service costs rather than providing direct payments.<\/p>\n Kai-Ji Adam Lo has been charged with\u00a011 counts of second-degree murder\u00a0<\/a>and 31 counts of attempted murder in relation to the car ramming.<\/p>\n