Car Crash Strikes Lively and Expanding Filipino Enclave in Vancouver
Living in the Heart of Vancouver's Thriving Filipino Community
VANCOUVER, British Columbia - For Bennet Miemban-Ganata, owner of a bustling Filipino restaurant in Vancouver, the arrival of spring signifies a season of joyous celebrations and vibrant cultural demonstrations. From Filipino Restaurant Month in April to Filipino Heritage Month in June, the city is filled with colorful clothes, traditional folk dances, and mouthwatering dishes such as crispy lumpia, marinated and grilled pork belly, and tender beef stew. And of course, there's the sense of togetherness for Vancouver's rapidly expanding Filipino community.
All of this made Saturday night's tragic vehicle-ramming attack on a crowd at a Filipino block party even more heartbreaking.
"The entire day felt like a fun celebration, people were happy being together," Miemban-Ganata said emotionally during an interview at her restaurant, Plato Filipino. "We were just there to have a good time, to feel the warmth of our fellow Filipinos in a foreign land."
A black Audi SUV barreled down a closed street lined with food trucks and struck people attending the Lapu Lapu Day festival, which honors Datu Lapu-Lapu, an Indigenous chieftain who stood up to Spanish explorers in the 16th century.
Eleven people were tragically killed, including a 5-year-old girl and her parents. Thirty-two people were injured, with seven in critical condition and three in serious condition at hospitals on Monday, according to Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Steve Addison.
Authorities swiftly ruled out terrorism. The driver, 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo, was charged with multiple counts of second-degree murder, police said, and had a history of mental illness that had prompted law enforcement responses, including one the day before the attack. His brother was the victim of a homicide in 2024, and Lo wrote in an online fundraising appeal that he was devastated by that loss.
The Filipino community in Vancouver has grown exponentially, with Filipino-owned businesses, like Miemban-Ganata's Plato Filipino, becoming a cornerstone of South Vancouver. The restaurant serves as a community hub, providing a welcoming atmosphere where locals gather and feel comfortable enough to leave their children while they search for childcare.
The tragic accident has shaken the tight-knit community, but British Columbia Premier David Eby has vowed not to let the incident overshadow the celebration. "I don't think there's a British Columbian that hasn't been touched by the Filipino community in one way or another," he said. "This was a community celebration, a celebration of their culture."
World & Nation
Vancouver Vehicle Attack Suspect Charged with Murder, Community Gathers in Mourning
Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, was charged with eight counts of second-degree murder in a court appearance Sunday following his arrest at the scene.
Historically, Filipino immigration to Canada was significantly restricted until the 1960s. However, Canadian immigration patterns began to change as Filipino immigrants arrived to help offset labor shortages in Canada's health care, garment, and other industries. Today, Filipinos are Canada's third-largest Asian immigrant population, with approximately 1 million residents nationwide[1]. Over one-third of all Filipinos in Canada arrived within the last decade[2], and a sizable portion, roughly 175,000, reside in British Columbia, primarily in Vancouver[1].
The community's growth has led to the emergence of cultural institutions like Filipino BC, a non-profit organization established in 2023 that advocates for Filipino Canadian heritage and the creation of a Filipino cultural center[1]. In 2024, Filipino BC organized the first Lapu Lapu Day celebration, which has since grown into a beloved event attracting attendees from cities such as Seattle and Toronto[1].
"The festival is a chance to celebrate and share our rich culture," RJ Aquino, chair of Filipino BC's board, said. "Everyone also just loves having a good time."
Aquino, who grew up in the Philippines and moved to the Vancouver area in the 1990s, calls the recent event "the highest of highs and the lowest of lows." He left the festival to have dinner with his family when he received a call about the attack and quickly returned.
"Our first imperative is to be present with each other, to make sure we don't feel alone," Aquino said, noting that the city of Vancouver and Province of British Columbia have extended support services to the community. "The Filipino community knows how to be resilient, and we will come out of this stronger."
Rush and Johnson write for the Associated Press. Johnson reported from Seattle.
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Beyond the Headlines
The Filipino Diaspora in Canada
Filipino immigration to Canada has experienced remarkable growth since the mid-20th century, with an increase in recent decades. Familial reunification, professional opportunities, and cultural resilience are key factors driving this expansion[1].
In Vancouver, this growth has led to the establishment of community-driven cultural institutions, such as Filipino BC, which seeks to preserve and promote Filipino Canadian heritage[1]. The emerging cultural presence can also be seen in the city's skyline, where Filipino cuisine has become a cherished staple[1].
Despite the tragic incident, the resilience of the community reflects the Filipino spirit, ensuring that the vibrancy of their culture continues to thrive in a foreign land.
- Bennet Miemban-Ganata, owner of Plato Filipino, expresses sorrow over the tragic vehicle-ramming attack at a Filipino block party in Vancouver, which killed eleven people and injured thirty-two.
- Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Steve Addison reported that seven people were in critical condition and three were in serious condition at hospitals following the attack.
- Kai-Ji Adam Lo, the driver of the Audi SUV, was charged with multiple counts of second-degree murder and has a history of mental illness.
- British Columbia Premier David Eby vows to celebrate the Filipino community and their culture despite the tragic incident, stating that the attack should not overshadow the community's festivities.
- The Lapu Lapu Day festival, which honors an Indigenous chieftain who resisted Spanish explorers in the 16th century, was attended by individuals from cities like Seattle and Toronto before the attack.
- The Filipino community in Vancouver is growing exponentially, with Filipino-owned businesses like Plato Filipino becoming essential to the South Vancouver community.
- Filipino BC, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Filipino Canadian heritage, played a significant role in organizing the Lapu Lapu Day celebration and advocating for a Filipino cultural center.
- Despite the tragedy, the resilient Filipino community in Vancouver continues to be an integral part of the city, thriving in their adopted home through cultural institutions, businesses, and community events.
