VANCOUVER \u2014 It was early Sunday morning when Antonio Ortega drove in the area of Fraser Street in Vancouver, a year to the day since a vehicle tore through the crowd of the Lapu Lapu Day festival celebrating Filipino independence.<\/p>\n
Ortega said he took time to reflect on the tragedy that claimed 11 lives and injured dozens of others, but he noticed that the community was still standing, with people just \u201cdoing their activities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am now on the process towards healing, but we need to agree that the community is not fully healed,\u201d said Ortega, a former member of the board of Filipino BC.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot deny that there is still trauma.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortega\u2019s reflections came amid a wave of mournful messages as flags flew at half mast at the B.C. Legislature and at city halls around the Lower Mainland to mark a year since attack overshadowed what was supposed to be a joyful street celebration for the city\u2019s vibrant Filipino diaspora.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement Sunday that the sorrow of the deadly attack \u201cis shared by our entire nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn this solemn day, we remember the victims — children, parents, and friends who were taken by this senseless act of violence,\u201d it said. \u201cThis tragedy left a profound void in the hearts of families, loved ones, and Filipino communities across Canada and around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the face of unimaginable loss and grief, they have shown strength, solidarity, and compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n
B.C. Premier David Eby said the attack was an \u201cunspeakable and unprecedented tragedy\u201d that remains as incomprehensible a year later as it did on the day it took place.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis tragedy should never seem normal. It should always shock and horrify us. And it is impossible to make peace with the scale of the devastation that took place,\u201d Eby said. \u201cToday, we hold the lives lost that night in honour and in love, and we grieve with the community that still carries the trauma of this event.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe pause today to remember and mourn. On behalf of all British Columbians, we stand in solidarity with the Filipino community and all whose lives have been forever changed by this tragedy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eby says the \u201csenseless and vicious attack\u201d left 11 people dead, dozens injured and many others traumatized for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n
For Ortega, the anniversary of the attack is a time for the community to continue \u201cdriving towards healing,\u201d taking solace in church, saying prayers and coming together.<\/p>\n
He said he\u2019s been \u201ctouched\u201d by the gestures of respect and solidarity, the messages and the lowering of flags in commemoration, making him feel lucky to live in Vancouver and in Canada.<\/p>\n
Ortega said, however, there are \u201cmixed\u201d feelings about how the last year unfolded, with controversy surrounding how donations meant for victims of the attack were handled.<\/p>\n
He said he left his spot on the board of Filipino BC out of a desire for \u201ctransparency and accountability,\u201d but not to divide the community, which he described as being separated like \u201cwater and oil.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe victims were crying,\u201d he said. \u201cThey did not receive the exact help that they\u2019re supposed to get.\u201d<\/p>\n
Donations after the attack collected through United Way BC, for instance, went to support community-focused charities and other organizations rather than directly to victims of the attack.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognize that there has been confusion and frustration about how the fund was structured,\u201d United Way BC said on its website. \u201cSituations like the Lapu Lapu tragedy are complex, and they have prompted us to reflect on how emergency funds are communicated so expectations are clearer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Filipino BC has said in a statement that it can\u2019t give unrestricted cash payments to survivors since it\u2019s a registered charity, instead working \u201cclosely with families to cover eligible expenses directly or through service providers, in accordance with charitable tax regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ortega said there\u2019s still an overall need to move forward, while still reflecting on what will remain an \u201cunforgettable\u201d tragedy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last word is, we will rise again,\u201d Ortega said.<\/p>\n
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2026<\/p>\n
Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press<\/p>\n
With files from Nono Shen<\/p>\n
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