VANCOUVER — The City of Vancouver has started work to consolidate temporary memorials near the site of the Lapu Lapu Day festival attack, but an advocacy group says it's too soon.
Workers at one memorial outside John Oliver Secondary School could be seen removing flowers and placing them in green compost bins.
Filipino BC says people are still navigating immense grief since the April 26 attack that killed 11 people, and an important part of collective healing is ensuring memorials are accessible and respected.
A number of memorials have been growing around the school and at East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street, near where an SUV rammed through a crowd of festival-goers.
The city says in a statement that staff will "carefully consolidate" the many memorials to two locations, one at 43rd and Fraser and another at nearby Mountain View Cemetery.
It says the work will be done in consultation with Vancouver Police Department Victim Services, which is in regular contact with the families of victims, and with the support of the Vancouver School Board.
Deputy city manager Sandra Singh says it is "difficult work" that will be done with "care and respect" by city workers.
Filipino BC says major changes to the sites should be done with care, compassion and in consultation with victims' families, and they will continue to advocate for transparency and accountability as decisions about the memorials are made.
The city says items such as cards, signs, and teddy bears will be moved to Mountain View Cemetery or stored off-site, and fresh flowers will be relocated to 43rd and Fraser.
It says items that are perishable and wilted are being gently removed and composted, while items that represent a safety risk, such as broken candleholders, will be disposed of safely.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 22, 2025.
Nono Shen, The Canadian Press
