On April 26th, what should have been a joyous occasion in Vancouver abruptly became a tragedy.
As the Lapu-Lapu Day street festival, which celebrates the contributions of the Filipino community to Canada, was nearing its end at 8 p.m., the unthinkable happened.
A vehicle driven by a Vancouver man suddenly and violently rammed into the crowd.
11 deaths have been reported from the incident, including a father, mother, and 5-year-old daughter who leave one son behind.
Although the tragedy happened in Vancouver, its magnitude has shaken the entire country, both inside the Filipino community and beyond it.
‘Who would want to hurt us?’
For Jewel Miralles White, a member of the Filipino community in the Pembina Valley, hearing the news of the tragedy was astonishing.
“I was really shocked. I thought I was actually dreaming, and I wanted someone to pinch me and to tell me that it's not true, but unfortunately it was,” she says.
“For me, it's not something that I expect to happen in Canada or in any of our communities. We Filipinos have always been very helpful and known for our generosity and [as] big contributors to the community .... Who would want to hurt us?”
‘I was just really upset’
Miralles White says that although the tragedy was extremely disconcerting, her faith guides her as she attempts to come to terms with the situation.
"Our community's resilience is being tested, but in unity and advocacy, also called 'bayanihan' in our language, we can strive for meaningful change to ensure such a tragedy never happens again here in Canada, but also in the world."
-Sean Arcilla, a member of the Filipino community in Winkler.
“I was just really upset, I'm not going to lie, but then I decided that, instead of being upset, [I'd] pray for the family and the victims’ souls, because that's what they need the most,” she says. “That's what also helps me find peace.”
Searching for compassion
The history of the incident’s suspect, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, complicates how Miralles White grapples with the tragedy. Last year, he lost his brother to what he labelled as a “senseless act of violence” in Vancouver, which he struggled to overcome.
"My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and all those affected. As we mourn, we also have to consider the unsettling reality that the suspect, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, had a documented history of mental health issues and prior interactions with law enforcement. This raises pressing questions about the adequacy of our mental health support systems and the measures in place to prevent such tragedies."
-Sean Arcilla, a member of the Filipino community in Winkler.
Although Miralles White feels for the suspect's own tragedy, she still grieves immensely for the loss of life in Vancouver.
Knowledge of the suspect’s past makes accepting the incident no less challenging.
“It is sad on both ends, but to be honest, I'm having a hard time feeling compassion for him, knowing that a lot of lives have been lost,” she says.
‘[We] share not only in mourning, but also resilience’
In the end, Miralles White calls the events in Vancouver on April 26th “heartbreaking.” She’s not alone in the feeling.
“The sorrow extends beyond our community. It resonates throughout the world. We've been hearing leaders from around the world expressing their condolences,” she says. “Experiencing such a devastating event during a celebration where we Filipinos celebrate our culture, it makes the pain even heavier.”
Related stories:
- Father, mother, daughter, 5, killed in Vancouver festival attack, leave son behind
- 'Tragedy all around': Murder charges follow Vancouver festival attack that killed 11
Even through an unthinkably difficult period, Miralles-White says that the Filipino community is a resilient one.
This event won’t change that.
“As a Filipino community in Morden, I know we stand together in grief, offering our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims. In moments like this, we share in not only mourning but also resilience, holding on to hope that despite the profound loss, this tragic event will spark meaningful change that will help prevent future tragedies,” she says.
With files from Jayme Giesbrecht