Permanent memorial being considered after Vancouver festival crash, organizer says

By Canadian Press on May 6, 2025.

VANCOUVER — The chair of the group that organized a festival in Vancouver where 11 people were killed says talks are underway to set up a permanent memorial near the site of the tragedy.

RJ Aquino with Filipino BC says he has seen strangers leave as friends after bonding over grief at the memorial site along the fence of a Vancouver high school where thousands of flowers, candles and notes of condolence have been placed.

He says there’s a need for a permanent memorial and preliminary talks are underway with the city and the school board to find an appropriate location, and that it be done “respectfully and thoughtfully.”

Aquino says there are no plans for now to remove the temporary memorial that has been growing daily since a man rammed an SUV through the crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival on April 26.

Vancouver school board trustee Preeti Faridikot says she will be proposing a motion next month at a board meeting for the permanent memorial next to the school.

Faridikot says she doesn’t want to rush the motion, since many victims’ families are still mourning their loss, and she wants to proceed with “care, dignity, and cultural sensitivity.”

Fundraising efforts from different organizations are growing, including a collaboration between the United Way BC and Filipino BC to support those affected by the tragedy.

Aquino says he has been visiting victims at the hospital, and the funds can help with needs such as replacing cellphones that were broken or lost during the attack or helping arrange for child care.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May, 6, 2025.

The Canadian Press