City of Vancouver recommends province, feds pass event safety legislation following Lapu Lapu attack

After the release of an event safety review prompted by the Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy, Vancouver’s mayor is pleading for more mental health supports.

The City of Vancouver and its police department are calling for the B.C. and federal governments to pass standardized event safety legislation in the wake of April’s Lapu Lapu festival vehicle ramming attack which left 11 people dead.

That’s one of eight recommendations included in a final report on outdoor special event planning and safety, which comes after the tragedy at the Filipino street festival.

“April 26 was a dark and devastating day for the City of Vancouver, and our hearts remain with the families and communities who continue to grieve this profound loss,” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim wrote in a news release attached to the report.

“This review gives us a clear path to strengthen how we plan and prepare for gatherings, ensuring Vancouver events can remain both safe and fun. We are committed to taking these lessons forward so our streets, parks and festivals remain safe, welcoming places where people can come together.”

The report also recommends an update to the city’s special event policy to reinforce public safety as a core objective. There’s also a call for the creation of a process to guide the entry and exit of attendees, vendors and others at event sites.

Other recommendations include a call to develop guidelines on the use of “hostile vehicle mitigation measures” for outdoor special events, and a push to explore more training, equipment, infrastructure and tools for event organizers and staff.

“The Lapu Lapu Day attack was an unspeakable tragedy that left many families, and an entire community, changed forever,” said VPD Chief Const. Steve Rai in a statement.

“While this review confirms the planning and risk assessment for Lapu Lapu Day was appropriate, I know these findings won’t ease the pain felt by so many who are still grieving. We must continue working together to ensure everyone is safe and secure at special events and festivals, and the findings in this review will help guide us through that process.”

As in the preliminary report, the findings indicated existing mitigation procedures were followed and are largely in line with security measures in other jurisdictions.

The key recommendations are:

• Update the city’s special event policy
• Standardize early safety planning and access control protocols
• Develop clear guidelines for hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM)
• Expand training, infrastructure, and tools for event planners
• Advocate for provincial and federal supports
• Create a Vancouver-specific hostile-vehicle mitigation framework for the public realm
• Apply the hostile vehicle mitigation framework to future capital projects
• Allocate funding in the 2027-2030 Capital Plan