B.C. community holds vigil to mourn deaths, losses in deadly Hong Kong fire

By Canadian Press on December 1, 2025.

VANCOUVER — A makeshift memorial dedicated to the victims of one of Hong Kong’s deadliest fires drew hundreds of people in downtown Vancouver before it was removed.

The front steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery were filled with tea lights and bouquets of white flowers as mourners lined up for hours to remember and pay tribute to the more than 150 people who died in the fire last week.

The busy area went quiet as hundreds of people bowed their heads in silent tribute Sunday evening, some wiping away tears, while others left notes addressed to the victims.

Phoebe Wong was among those who gathered to mourn, saying she felt heartbroken, and news of the fire hurts for everyone with roots in Hong Kong, where she lived before moving to Vancouver a few years ago.

Officials in Hong Kong say the flames started in netting covering bamboo scaffolding around one building in the Wang Fuk Court complex before it spread to seven other highrises.

Authorities say some of the netting on the buildings that had been under renovation didn’t meet their code for fire resistance and Hong Kong’s anti-corruptions agency has arrested 14 people.

Wong says there are many questions about the renovation project.

“Hong Kong means everything to me, and so I’m very upset to see this fire,” she says.

“I think the families deserve the truth.”

— with files from the Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 1, 2025.

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press