Community Update l Tuesday, June 3

Today, Vancouver City Council approved a motion to sign a contract with the Canucks Entertainment Corp. to use Rogers Arena for a memorial event it named, “Come Together: Vancouver Strong.” The motion allows the City of Vancouver to use $50,000 toward production costs to allow for nominal ticket prices and cover other fees. 

In May, Filipino BC and other community groups were invited to a City-hosted roundtable to discuss what a potential memorial event could look like.  During that meeting, we expressed that any event, public tribute or memorial should be done in close consultation with the families of the victims, and should be shaped and directed by the community. The City recently informed us it would be hosting a large scale event in June. 

We were not notified about the urgent motion that Vancouver City Hall voted on this afternoon. While we understand the City’s desire to create space for collective mourning and healing, it is critical that this process centres the voices of the families and affected communities. 

Filipino BC remains focused on the crisis response efforts, including supporting victims, their families and those who have been impacted. We believe the City of Vancouver should prioritize emergency recovery funding. While we are supporting families by connecting them with financial aid, providing temporary accommodations and other services, we have not engaged with them about an event. The Vancouver Police Department’s Victim Services Unit is responsible for speaking with families about a possible memorial and relaying their perspectives to the City.

For Filipino Heritage Month, our community has organized meaningful events  that honour those that lost their lives, and are places of healing, reflection, and celebrating culture. 

There is space and need for both intimate, community-led events and a broader large-scale tribute to encourage wider collective healing. However, the timing, tone and format of such an event should be aligned with victims and the communities impacted. 

We urge the City of Vancouver to remain accountable to that principle and to prioritize long-term recovery support as part of its commitment to those impacted.