BC Legislator Urges Pause on Lapu Lapu Day Festival

A British Columbia legislator of Filipino descent is urging the cancellation of this year's Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver, citing ongoing trauma among survivors and families from a deadly vehicle attack at last year's event.

Mable Elmore, the MLA for Vancouver-Kensington and the first person of Filipino heritage elected to the provincial legislature in 2009, signed a petition last week calling for a pause on the festival scheduled for April 19. The petition, directed at organizer Filipino BC, argues that postponement would demonstrate respect for those still healing from physical and emotional wounds. Elmore, who was present at the scene of the 2025 attack, said she acted after consulting survivors and victims' families. "People are traumatized," she said in an interview. "People are still continuing to recover. So, we have to be very mindful, and very sensitive to that."

The attack occurred during the outdoor festival near John Oliver Secondary School in East Vancouver, where an SUV driven by Adam KaiJi Lo plowed into crowds, killing 11 people and injuring dozens. Lo faces 11 counts of second-degree murder and 31 counts of attempted murder. Elmore witnessed bystanders...