Sim says Vancouver is ‘begging’ B.C. for mental health supports after festival attack

By Canadian Press on September 4, 2025.

VANCOUVER — Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim says no city can completely eliminate all risks to public safety and steps to protect people won’t be effective without addressing mental health challenges, which he described as the “root cause” of many concerns.

Sim says the city is “begging” the province to take action and ensure people suffering from mental health challenges receive the care they need.

The mayor’s comments came as the city released a final review of public safety at outdoor events following a vehicle-ramming attack that killed 11 people at Filipino cultural festival held in Vancouver last spring.

Sim says the joint review by police and city officials found planning for the Lapu Lapu Day street festival followed the required protocols, including an assessment that determined the risk was low for a major public safety incident.

Still, Sim says the report and its eight recommendations offer a road map for strengthening public safety and balancing it with financial considerations.

Sim says he wants the city to move quickly to implement the recommendations, which include guidelines for what is described as “hostile vehicle mitigation,” while calling for a “deep dive on mental health” in conjunction with the province.

“What we’re finding is the root cause of a lot of these challenges goes back to mental health and people who aren’t getting the care they need,” he said.

“We need to have that conversation, because that’s the more effective way of making sure people are safe.”

While a vehicle was used in the ramming attack at the Lapu Lapu Day festival, Sim said even if every event were protected from vehicles, another weapon could be used.

“We’re not going to solve anything until we get to the mental health aspect of these issues and the root cause of these issues.”

The report also recommends the development of a Vancouver-specific framework for permanent safety measures against such attacks in public spaces, along with the expansion of training and tools for those planning public gatherings.

Earlier Thursday, Premier David Eby said he welcomed the perspective of the city and police and hoped the report would help the province as it deliberates on how to prevent another such attack.

“It’s an issue being grappled with around the world, and we’re going to make sure that British Columbia is leading the way in terms of prevention and response,” Eby told an unrelated news conference in Surrey.

An estimated 50,000 people attended this year’s Lapu Lapu Day festival, the report says.

Adam Kai-Ji Lo is accused of driving an SUV through a street crowded with festival patrons on April 26 and he faces 11 counts of second-degree murder.

The B.C. Health Ministry said shortly after the attack that Lo was “being followed closely” under the Mental Health Act by a Vancouver Coastal Health care team.

Sim said he could not comment on the specifics of the Lapu Lapu Day tragedy as the case is before the court. Rather, he said he was making general comments about mental health challenges the city has seen.

Lo’s defence counsel and Crown lawyers concluded their legal arguments last month over the question of whether he is fit to stand trial.

A publication ban prevents evidence at the hearing from being reported.

A media consortium that includes The Canadian Press has challenged the ban, with rulings on both that application and the fitness hearing scheduled for Sept. 10.

Days after the attack, the province appointed former B.C. Supreme Court chief justice Christopher Hinkson to conduct a review of safety at public events.

Hinkson’s report, released in July, recommends that all public events across the province, regardless of size, should be supported by a risk assessment.

It called for inter-agency co-ordination and for the development of a provincial events hub for sharing information and advice.

B.C.’s minister of state for community safety, Terry Yung, told media at the time that the province would move as fast as it could to adopt the recommendations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2025.

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press