The City of Vancouver and the VPD have released the Final Report of the Joint Review of Outdoor Special Event Planning and Safety following the Lapu Lapu festival tragedy earlier this year.
Mayor Ken Sim, VPD Chief Constable Steve Rai, and several staff members held a press conference at Vancouver City Hall on Thursday, Sept. 4, to unveil the report, which includes recommendations aimed at strengthening coordination and public safety for future events.
The report also focused on several ways to mitigate hostile vehicles like the one used to plow through a crowd at the Vancouver street festival celebrating the Filipino community.
The attack killed 11 people and injured over 30 more.
City of Vancouver
“Make no mistake about it, April 26 was the darkest day in the history of Vancouver,” said Mayor Sim during the press conference. “What started off as an incredibly beautiful celebration of Filipino culture and community turned into just an incredibly unimaginable tragedy.
“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,” he added in a release. “We are committed to taking these lessons forward so our streets, parks and festivals remain safe, welcoming places where people can come together.”
The Final Report of the Joint Review of Outdoor Special Event Planning and Safety includes the finding that the City of Vancouver’s safety planning and permitting protocols are “robust and thorough in general,” and that guidelines were followed in the preparation for the 2025 Lapu Lapu Day Block Party.
It also features a forward-looking roadmap, including updates to the City of Vancouver’s Special Event Policy, enhancements to training and planning tools, integrating safety into public realm design, and development of formal Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) guidance.
Fraser Street south of East 41st Avenue in Vancouver closed on April 27, 2025, following the deadly incident on the evening of April 26. (Daniel Chai/Daily Hive)
VPD recently added 700-pound Meridian Archer vehicle barriers — made of steel and designed for rapid deployment — to its public safety toolkit. Other mitigation tactics include concrete barriers and large City of Vancouver vehicles.
The eight key recommendations outlined in the Final Report include:
- Update the City’s Special Event Policy to reinforce public safety
- Standardize early safety planning and access control protocols
- Develop clear guidelines for HVM
- Expand training, infrastructure, and tools for event planners
- Advocate for Provincial and Federal supports
- Create a Vancouver-specific HVM framework to guide the permanent design and retrofitting of high-use public spaces with vehicle-resistant infrastructure
- Apply the HVM framework to future capital projects
- Allocate capital funding in the 2027-2030 Capital Plan to retrofit existing spaces with permanent HVM features.
Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive
“The Lapu Lapu Day attack was an unspeakable tragedy that left many families and an entire community changed forever,” added VPD Chief Constable 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.”
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