Dear Friend,

Brenda here with you briefly. It’s been a challenging week for our community, one marked by grief, reflection, and a deep sense of loss. Premier Eby shared the message below, and rather than adding more of my own thoughts, I wanted to share his heartfelt words with you.

Much love,

Brenda

I know we’re all grieving right now.

On Saturday in Vancouver, I attended the Lapu Lapu festival with my daughter. We were on stage with Mable Elmore and the organizers, celebrating a community that is foundational to our success as a province. A community whose contributions are too often overlooked.

I don’t think there’s a British Columbian that hasn’t been touched in some way by the Filipino community. You can’t go to a place that delivers care in our province and not meet a member of that community. This is a community that has been nationally recognized for its contribution to nursing in Canada. A community disproportionately represented among hard-working staff serving the most vulnerable British Columbians in our long-term care homes, our hospitals, our child care centres, our schools.

This is a community that gives and gives. And Saturday was a very welcome public celebration of their culture and people.

When I think about what’s core to my experiences with the Filipino community, it’s family, it’s love, it’s celebration, and that’s what I felt on stage Saturday.

Later that evening I started getting messages that something had gone terribly wrong at the event. At first, it wasn’t clear to me if this was a terrible accident or an intentional attack. Unfortunately, as unfathomable as it still is, this was no accident.

It’s challenging for me, and I know for many people at this moment, not to feel rage. Rage at the man who murdered and injured so many innocent people, who destroyed the celebration of a community that deserves that celebration and so much more. That rage is connected to the profound and deep sadness that I feel for the senseless and profound damage that has been done to so many wonderful people, so quickly and heartlessly.

Our MLA Mable Elmore and her community office have been central to the response to this horrific attack; it’s located just down the street from the site of this mass murder. She and a dedicated team of volunteers from Filipino BC had been working, on very little sleep, to put together a festival, and now, to do work that they never expected to have to do. They didn’t deserve this.

While we grieve now, as hard as it is to believe, we know that the Filipino community has seen hardship before, and come through it stronger. They have a word for it: bayanihan, reflecting the collective effort and cooperation that has got them through hardship before, and will again.

But this time, the community that never hesitates to care for us, needs our care in return. They can’t do it on their own. This is too much. It’s our turn to wrap our arms around the Filipino community.

Our government is working closely to support Filipino BC on the ground. We’re supporting victims through victim services whose funding we increased last budget to ensure everyone gets the support they need. We have declared a provincial day of remembrance and mourning today to ensure this tragedy is not overlooked or minimized or forgotten in the wake of significant federal election and international news.

We will do what it takes to support what should be everyone’s first priority: the victims and the families of the victims of this awful act.

Support for the community isn’t just necessary services. It also means getting answers for the community, the province, the country, and many people around the world.

We know what happened. But we have no idea why.

More than 100 police officers are currently investigating this heinous crime. This individual involved has been charged with eight counts of murder, and more are likely to come. The criminal process will provide some answers, but likely not all.

While we can’t call a public inquiry immediately without interfering with the prosecution of this man, if any questions remain unanswered after the prosecution, we won’t hesitate to call an inquiry.

It’s not just questions about this crime that are coming up — organizers of events this summer need our support to know how to ensure safety as best as possible. We are establishing an independent commission to review best practices internationally and compile recommendations for organizers in communities big and small as quickly as we can before summer events get underway.

I know it’s hard to believe it at this moment, but I know we will come back stronger as a province. We’ll keep standing with the Filipino community in Vancouver and British Columbia to make sure that that’s the case. I know you’ll join me in supporting this community however you can.

~David Eby

Supports

Spiritual Supports:
In these trying times, many people find comfort in turning to spiritual support. There are several services happening this weekend and I encourage you to find comfort in these special services.

Friday, May 2^nd at 5:10pm – Holy Rosary Cathedral, 646 Richards St., Vancouver

Saturday, May 3^rd at 9am – Immaculate Conception, 8842 119 St., Delta

Saturday, May 3^rd at 11:30am – St. Andrews, 480 E. 47^th Ave, Vancouver

Saturday, May 3^rd at 7pm – Christ City Church, 5887 Prince Edward St., Vancouver

Sunday, May 4^th at 3pm – St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church, 808 E. 50^th Ave, Vancouver

Mental Health Supports:

310 Mental Health Line – Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of BC

• Phone: 310-6789 (no area code needed in BC)
• Website: https://www.crisiscentre.bc.ca/get-support/crisis-lines/

VictimLinkBC

• Phone: 1-800-563-0808 (call or text)
• E-mail:   211-VictimLinkBC@uwbc.ca
• Website: VictimLinkBC - Province of British Columbia

Kids Help Phone

• Phone: 1-800-668-6868
• Text: 686868
• Website: Get support with these mental health resources - Kids Help Phone

9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline (24/7 anywhere in Canada)

• Phone or text: 988
• Website: 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline - Canada.ca

CRCL – Crisis Response, Community Led

• Website: https://crcl.ca/

Multi-Cultural Mental Health

• Website: Welcome - MMHRC

Assistance to Filipino Nationals Hotline – Philippine Consulate General

• Phone: 604-653-5858
• E-mail: atnsection@vancouverpcg.org
• Website: https://www.vancouverpcg.org/services/assistance-to-nationals/

 Filipino National Migrant Workers’ Office Hotline - Philippine Consulate General

• Phone: (604) 767-3354
• E-mail: polo.vancouver@yahoo.ca
• Website https://www.vancouverpcg.org/migrant-workers-office-mwo/

Provincial Day of Remembrance and Mourning

Today, Friday, May 2, 2025, has been declared an official day of remembrance and mourning for the victims of the tragedy at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver on April 26, 2025. Our thoughts are with those grieving the loss of loved ones and those recovering from this senseless tragedy. This day provides an opportunity for people across British Columbia to come together, mourn the loss of innocent lives, and honor the contributions the victims made to their communities and the province.

An online book of condolence is available for individuals to express their sympathies and messages of support. It will remain open for signing until 5 p.m. on Monday, May 5, 2025. 

As always, know that I and my team are here to support you. If you are looking for additional support not listed above, please reach out to my office and they will gladly help in any way we can.