Saskatchewan's Filipino community heartbroken after deadly Vancouver festival tragedy
Members of Saskatchewan's Filipino community are expressing shock, sadness and solidarity following an incident at the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party in Vancouver on Saturday that left 11 people dead and several others injured.
Jenelyn Santos Ong, co-president of the Filipino Canadian Association of Saskatchewan (FILCAS), said the news was devastating to hear.
"It's definitely one of shock and sadness, something unimaginable and unexpected, especially at an event that's supposed to be celebrating our culture and heritage," Ong said.
The incident happened Saturday afternoon during a street party commemorating Lapu Lapu, a revered Filipino hero known for resisting Spanish colonization in the 1500s.
According to police, a vehicle drove into the festival crowd. The driver, a 30-year-old Vancouver man, is in custody.
Ong said many Filipinos in Saskatchewan have family and friends living in Vancouver. She noted that although her loved ones had already left the festival site before the tragedy occurred, not everyone has been accounted for.
"A lot of us know family and friends that are living there," she said. "Even if they're not directly impacted, just knowing that they were there, and witnessing it or being close by, it still affects them."
Ong says FILCAS has already contacted Filipino organizations in British Columbia to offer support, and will continue coordinating efforts to help the affected families. She encouraged people to focus on community healing rather than sharing graphic images or videos circulating online.
"We really want to focus on the people and do what we can to support them," Ong said.
Alvin Pulga, public relations officer for the Philippine Association of Saskatchewan in Regina, said he first learned of the tragedy from a family group chat. Like many, he woke up to the devastating news on Sunday morning.
"As a Filipino-Canadian, it hits closer to home," Pulga said. "Our community here in Regina is heartbroken and saddened."
Pulga said the tragedy sparked difficult conversations within his own family, particularly with younger relatives now fearful about attending cultural festivals.
"I was talking about it with my niece and my son earlier today and it's hard to explain, you know, the reality that things like this can happen," he said. "You try to comfort them just knowing that it'll be OK."
He emphasized the importance of reassuring young people that celebrating culture should remain a source of pride and joy, despite the risks.
"Events like this are supposed to be joyous," he said. "We want our kids to know they should still be excited to celebrate our culture."
Strength in community
Pulga and the Philippine Association of Saskatchewan have been preparing for its Filipino pavilion at Mosaic festival — an annual multicultural event scheduled for the first weekend of June.
He said that while security had not been a focus in past meetings, that will likely change.
"I'm sure at our next meeting something's gonna be brought up with this idea in mind of security," he said.
Both Ong and Pulga emphasized that while the tragedy has cast a shadow over celebrations, it has also revealed the strength and unity of the Filipino community.
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Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Since then, police in Brampton and Edmonton have made arrests, while the attacks in Surrey appear to be ramping up again, with two more shootings this week, including one at Surrey's Nijjar Trucking and another at the Maple Ridge home of a Punjabi music producer. MacIntosh was unable to comment on any possible links between the extortions in Brampton and Edmonton and those in Surrey, including the suggestion that the Bishnoi gang, an organized crime group based in India, might be connected to the violence in Surrey. Earlier this week, B.C. Premier David Eby asked the federal government to classify the gang as a terrorist group. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said Thursday the lack of clarity on who is behind the extortions is frustrating. 'That's why I'm calling on the province and our national police, the RCMP, to really put their shoulder into this,' she said. The possibility of international organized crime involvement means 'it's going to take our national police.' Speaking at a public safety forum last weekend, the mayor said a single national dashboard that flags extortion incidents within hours, not weeks, is needed. She also wants a joint provincial-federal task force to audit the impact of the Surrey police transition on 'organized crime activity with the authority to redirect resources on the spot.' 'Policing is not an experiment,' she said in reference to the transition. 'We are not getting the kind of service and attention that we need in order to keep our citizens safe. Not just from Surrey Police Service and not just from E-division RCMP, but the entire nation. What happens right now in Surrey falls squarely on the province's shoulders. How it is fixed — and make no mistake, it must be fixed — falls squarely on the provincial government.' 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Uppal's death in 2023 shocked many across Canada as his 11-year-old son was gunned down alongside him. The court records reported by CBC identified Uppal as a key part of the extortion scheme and a member of Brothers Keepers. In a statement to Postmedia on Friday, Edmonton police spokesperson Cheryl Voordenhout said police are still investigating the extortion scheme, but cannot share details. Edmonton police are in close contact with police in B.C. and across Canada 'as we increasingly manage transnational crime groups.' She confirmed they are still pursuing Dhaliwal's extradition. During their investigation, Edmonton police enlisted the public's help to identify suspects, putting out several news releases on their progress and releasing surveillance photos of suspects buying and filling gas containers. The team had a dedicated tip line and email address. Police in B.C. have not linked the extortion scheme to the Brothers Keepers. 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