In wake of Vancouver tragedy, Toronto renews funding to enhance safety at festivals

Paraders march down Lakeshore Boulevard at the Caribbean Carnival in Toronto on Saturday, August 3, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michelle Siu

TORONTO — The City of Toronto will allocate $2.1 million this year to help festivals stay secure, after 11 people were killed in a vehicle ramming at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day festival last month.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow announced the renewal of a special events funding program at an event on Monday that gathered about 150 festival organizers and security experts to discuss safety.

Chow said what happened in Vancouver at the festival organized by Filipino BC was heartbreaking.

"We mourned," she said. "Our spirit is strong, the spirit that comes from working together, the spirit that comes from all the thousands of organizers that organized the most successful festivals, from all over the world."

She said people in Toronto must not let fear dictate their lives, and the city will work with festivals to ensure they are successful, safe and "remain joyous."

Chow said the city will also provide a $100,000 seed grant and technical assistance for festival organizers to create a nonprofit association that can promote their interests.

The City of Toronto said it will also share new resources to support event planning and delivery.

The deadly attack on a Vancouver street festival prompted event organizers across Canada to comb over their security practices in a bid to protect attendees and assure them festivals are safe.

Some planners had already begun that process when British Columbia Premier David Eby announced last month he would call an independent commission to investigate how other regions handle festival security, to ensure residents of his province feel confident going to community events this summer.

But some say a spate of international attacks in recent years and increased demands from insurance companies meant they were already attuned to the issue — particularly given the rising cost associated with security.

Eleven people were killed and dozens more were injured when a man drove an SUV into the crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver on April 26.

Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai said a risk assessment was conducted before the event and police had decided no heavy-vehicle barricades were necessary. He said he was confident in the assessment process, but police would review the decision.

The festival summit in Toronto on Monday was a success and allowed participants to share knowledge, Chow said.

"We learned a lot about best practices of how we could collectively buy insurance together, what are some of the mitigation effects, how we could work with the emergency services and what kind of things we must do to make sure it's safe," she said.

The money Chow announced Monday will go towards Toronto's Special Events Stabilization Initiative.

The city introduced the program last year, offering $2 million to help cover festival expenses in 2024 related to health, safety and security.

That included funding for fire and paramedic services and "hostile vehicle mitigation," which is meant to lower the threat of a criminal or terrorist attack.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2025.

Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press