VANCOUVER — Vancouver officials say a review of public safety at outdoor events found the Lapu Lapu Day street festival was appropriately assessed as low risk, with no indication to suggest it was to be the target of a vehicle-ramming attack that killed 11 people.
The report concludes planning for the Filipino cultural festival followed existing protocols, including the development of a safety plan, and the risk assessment was appropriate, based in part on the success of the inaugural event in 2024.
Mayor Ken Sim says in a statement the report provides a road map to strengthen planning and preparation for public gatherings and ensuring they remain safe.
It contains eight recommendations, including developing guidelines for what is described as “hostile vehicle mitigation” for special events, as well as expanding training and tools for event planners.
The report also recommends the development of a Vancouver-specific framework for permanent safety measures against such attacks in public spaces.
Premier David Eby says he welcomes the perspective of the police and the city and hopes the report will help the province as it deliberates on how to prevent another such attack.
“It’s an issue being grappled with around the world, and we’re going to make sure that British Columbia is leading the way in terms of prevention and response,” Eby told an unrelated news conference in Surrey on Thursday.
An estimated 50,000 people attended this year’s Lapu Lapu Day festival, the report says.
Adam Kai-Ji Lo is accused of driving an SUV through a street crowded with festival patrons on April 26 and faces 11 counts of second-degree murder.
Lo’s defence counsel and Crown lawyers concluded their legal arguments last month over the question of whether he is fit to stand trial.
A publication ban prevents evidence at the hearing from being reported.
A media consortium that includes The Canadian Press has challenged the ban, with rulings on both that application and the fitness hearing scheduled for Sept. 10.
Days after the attack, the province appointed former B.C. Supreme Court chief justice Christopher Hinkson to conduct a review of safety at public events.
Hinkson’s report, released in July, recommends that all public events across the province, regardless of size, should be supported by a risk assessment.
It calls for inter-agency co-ordination and for the development of a provincial events hub for sharing information and advice.
B.C.’s minister of state for community safety, Terry Yung, told media at the time that the province would move as fast as it could to adopt the recommendations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2025.
Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press
