Halifax Filipino community shaken after deadly Vancouver festival attack

The Filipino community in the Maritimes is shocked by the killing for several people in Vancouver.

Members of Halifax’s Filipino community say they are grieving and searching for answers after a deadly attack at a cultural festival in Vancouver over the weekend.

The annual Lapu Lapu festival, a long-standing cultural celebration that draws large crowds, was coming to a close on Saturday when a vehicle drove into a pedestrian-only area, killing at least 11 people and injuring many more.

Sol Matalam, a volunteer with the Filipino Cultural Society, said she has not stopped checking her phone and reaching out to loved ones on the West Coast since hearing the news.

She was relieved to learn a friend and her daughter who attended the event were safe. Matalam knows of others who were supposed to go but didn’t.

“All that we’re feeling right now is confusion, a lot of grief and sadness, and a lot of questions of why this happened, especially at an even that happens every year,” she said.

Mary Grace Firmeza, owner of Xena’s Bread and Butter, says she has friends in Vancouver who work as food vendors and knows of some people who were attending the festival.

“Their relative just left the event and they were even shocked by what happened,” said Firmeza.

Firmeza often works as a vendor at festivals in Halifax. She says this incident ignites some concern.

“My mom immediately sent me a message saying be careful when doing events. You never know how people are going to do it if they really want to do it,” she says.

The driver is facing eight counts of second-degree murder with more charges expected once all the victims have been identified, according to Vancouver police.

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