Latest news with #FilipinoHeritageMonth
CTV News
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Sights and sounds from Pinoy Festival 2025
Vancouver Watch Thousands celebrated Filipino Heritage Month at Pinoy Festival 2025 in Burnaby on Saturday.
Hamilton Spectator
10-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Philippines Independence Day festivities in Fort St. John focus on family
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Filipino-Canadians gathered at Festival Plaza for a joyous, casual occasion to celebrate their heritage in what could be described as one word: family. Philippines Independence Day celebrations were held in Fort St. John on Sunday, June 8th, with dignitaries and residents – both Filipino and non-Filipino – enjoying an afternoon filled with dancing, songs and food. The gathering was organized by the North Peace Filipino-Canadian Association, also known as Bayanihan Fort St. John, during Filipino Heritage Month in June . The day celebrates the independence of the Philippines, an island country in Asia with 18 administrative regions and 7,641 islands, from Spanish colonial rule in 1898. Organizer Ovvian Castrillo-Hill told – and later the crowd who came out – just why this celebration is important, especially in the wake of the tragedy at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver. 'It's a little bit more casual,' said Castrillo-Hill. '[It's] a little bit more serene. This is about enjoying each other's company and the food. 'I think this period for the Filipino community, all over B.C. and Canada, is more of healing, is more of strengthening.' Mayor Lilia Hansen was there, alongside her husband Ron and councillors Gord Klassen, Sarah MacDougall, Jim Lequiere and Tony Zabinsky. Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy also joined the festivities later. Lunch was served to guests and entertainment followed. 'I want to give heartfelt gratitude for how you have become part of the community,' said Hansen. 'You make it stronger and having your celebrations and inviting us to be part of it, giving us a chance to get to know you and your culture more.' It was a family affair for Elvin Iglesias, who assisted in organizing the pot-luck lunch. He said being around his brethren made him feel 'happy.' 'We celebrate the things we do and we make,' said Iglesias. 'We also have exhibits [with] the art and sculptures. It's a day for us to gather all Filipinos as one.' It was also special for one family: Shandice and Jarred Castle, who were celebrating their anniversary. 'I'm not Filipino, but it's nice to be a part of this event,' said Jarred. 'It kind of makes our anniversary feel more meaningful.' Shandice agreed, saying: 'It means so much. It's such a family-oriented culture, and we love to be hospitable and share in celebration.' A dance troupe headed by Lorna Nyffler performed a regional dance, and singers including Elysia Cruz and Romina Tolentino sang both Filipino and popular songs, including a rendition of Beyonce's hit 'Halo'. Philippines Independence Day is celebrated annually by the island nation on June 12th. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CBC
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Friends of victim of Lapu-Lapu tragedy support benefit concert but wishes city had involved the community
Social Sharing Jada Stevens says she's looking forward to celebrating the life of her friend, Kira Salim, at the end of this month. "We want to bring in all of the facets of Kira that made them a completely wonderful person," Stevens said from her Vancouver home. "So we're going to be bringing in their Brazilian culture. We're going to be bringing in the LGBTQ community. We have drag performances. [Drag performer] Kendall Gender is going to be there." Salim, 34, was one of 11 people killed when a car rammed through the crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival in East Vancouver on April 26. Stevens says she's been grieving with Salim's loved ones in Vancouver since, supporting one another through the process and planning a celebration of life for their friend, which they're holding on June 22. So hearing that the City of Vancouver had decided to move forward with a large-scale memorial event for the tragedy's victims, without involving them in those plans, she said, came as a shock to her and Salim's other friends. On Tuesday, Vancouver city councillors voted in favour of a last-minute motion to move forward with what had then been described as a memorial event. It was being planned for Rogers Arena during the month of June, which is Filipino Heritage Month. Filipino B.C., the organizers of the Lapu Lapu Day festival, said families of the victims hadn't been consulted — which Stevens echoed. "It's really difficult to comprehend what a memorial for a loved one will look like if the loved ones haven't been engaged on the memorial," Stevens said. "We feel a little bit disrespected. We do want to support this event. We do want it to take place, but it would just have been a little bit kinder of the city to respect our needs for information and to be a part of the planning process." Stevens said it would've made things complicated had the city planned the event on the same day as Salim's celebration of life, and some communication would've helped. She also said they're concerned the planned event would be "a little bit too soon." "We are still going through the many complicated stages of grief, and that's a very private feeling," she said. "So the benefit concert, well, we do support it. We would just like it to take place a little bit later. If we had been consulted by the city, that's what we would have told them." WATCH | Community organization says city didn't consult with families on memorial event Filipino B.C. says it wasn't consulted before city vote on Lapu-Lapu Day memorial 17 hours ago Duration 2:01 A memorial and benefit concert at Rogers Arena for victims of Vancouver's Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy won't move ahead exactly as proposed. Earlier this week, city council voted in favour of going ahead with the event. But as Jon Hernandez reports, community leaders say victims and their families weren't consulted. In a statement to CBC News Thursday morning, the Office of the Mayor of Vancouver said council has unanimously passed a resolution calling for the event, since confirmed to be a benefit concert, to "undertake additional consultation with victims and families." They also said they're "moving away from the term 'memorial' as to not accidentally mischaracterize it as a formal memorial service for the victims." Crystal Laderas with Filipino B.C. told CBC News on Thursday that they've yet to have a comprehensive discussion with the city on the next steps with regard to the benefit concert. "What we're seeing here is a gap," she said. "While we are satisfied with the community consultation, and the City of Vancouver's communication with us, we're going to be asking the same questions whether it's a temporary memorial or this memorial event or benefit concert — have you spoken to the families yet?" 40 days after tragedy has community significance With June 5 marking 40 days since the tragedy, a memorial mass is being held at St. Andrew's Parish church in East Vancouver to honour and pray for the victims of the alleged attack. In Filipino Catholic tradition, the 40th day after death is believed to be when the soul's journey on earth has ended and ascended to heaven, says Narima Dela Cruz, founding president of the Philippine Asian National Congress. "It is usually marked by a remembrance and a get-together by family and friends, marked by prayers, offering of flowers, and if there is a memorial, as in the case of the Lapu-Lapu tragedy, then a visit to the place [of the incident]," she said. In a statement Thursday morning, Filipino B.C. says the 40th day "holds deep spiritual meaning." "It is believed that the soul remains close to us during these 40 days, before finding peace and fully departing from the physical world. "This is not closure," the statement goes on to say.
Global News
05-06-2025
- Global News
Memorial mass in Vancouver to mark 40 days since Lapu Lapu Day attack
Members of Vancouver's Filipino community and others will honour and pray for victims of the Lapu Lapu festival attack at a memorial mass today, 40 days after the tragedy that left 11 people dead. The date is significant in Filipino Catholic tradition as the end of a mourning period, and Rev. Francis Galvan says he expects the mass at St. Andrew's Parish church in East Vancouver at 6 p.m. to be crowded. Galvan, who is of Filipino heritage and is the pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Delta, B.C., says it's important for the healing process to be shared. 1:54 Filipino community concerned with Vancouver's event for Lapu Lapu victims He also says it's important to show solidarity with victims' families by hearing their stories and mourning together. Story continues below advertisement Vancouver police say seven people injured in the attack remain in hospital as of Tuesday afternoon, with six in stable condition and one in serious condition. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In a statement issued Thursday morning, advocacy group Filipino BC says the 40th day 'holds deep spiritual meaning.' 'It is believed that the soul remains close to us during these 40 days, before finding peace and fully departing from the physical world.' The statement lists names and ages of all 11 people who died in the attack, who ranged in age from five to 60. 'This is not closure,' Filipino BC said of the 40th day. 'Healing does not follow a schedule. But today offers a moment to pause. To gather. To feel. And to remind ourselves that healing, while difficult, is possible when we do it together.' 2:22 Brief court appearance for Lapu Lapu Day suspect RJ Aquino, who chairs Filipino BC, said the aftermath of the April 26 attack had cast a shadow over Filipino Heritage Month, which is marked every June. Story continues below advertisement He said some people were still having a difficult time crossing the street or even leaving their homes after the attack, but being with other members of the community is a way to encourage collective healing. The City of Vancouver has separately announced plans for a large-scale memorial event later this month to honour the victims. The 'Come Together: Vancouver Strong,' benefit concert will be held at Rogers Arena, although the exact date has not been set. Attack suspect Adam Kai-Ji Lo faces eight counts of second-degree murder, and Vancouver police have said more charges are expected. He is due back in court on Friday, as preparations to determine if he's fit to stand trial continue.
Winnipeg Free Press
05-06-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Memorial masses to be held throughout the city 40 days after Lapu Lapu tragedy
VANCOUVER – Members of Vancouver's Filipino community and others will honour and pray for victims of the Lapu Lapu festival attack at a memorial mass today, 40 days after the tragedy that left 11 people dead. The date is significant in Filipino Catholic tradition as the end of a mourning period, and Rev. Francis Galvan says he expects the mass at St. Andrew's Parish church in East Vancouver at 6 p.m. to be crowded. Galvan, who is of Filipino heritage and is the pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Delta, B.C., says it's important for the healing process to be shared. He also says it's important to show solidarity with victims' families by hearing their stories and mourning together. Vancouver police say seven people injured in the attack remain in hospital as of Tuesday afternoon, with six in stable condition and one in serious condition. RJ Aquino, who chairs advocacy group Filipino BC, says the aftermath of the April 26 attack has cast a shadow over Filipino Heritage Month, which is marked every June. He says some people are still have a difficult time crossing the street or even leaving their homes after the attack, but being with other members of the community is a way to encourage collective healing. The City of Vancouver has separately announced plans for a large-scale memorial event later this month to honour the victims. The 'Come Together: Vancouver Strong,' benefit concert will be held at Rogers Arena, although the exact date has not been set. Attack suspect Adam Kai-Ji Lo faces eight counts of second-degree murder, and Vancouver police have said more charges are expected. He is due back in court on Friday, as preparations to determine if he's fit to stand trial continue. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June. 5, 2025.
