City, VPD release final report on outdoor event safety

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Good morning, 

Nate with you today. Well, it’s upon us folks; the season of locking in to school, jobs, and regular routines after the festivities and relaxation of summer. I, for one, am excited for it. There’s something about early September that feels like a new year, in a way that early January never really does. 

For me, that impression of a fresh start is probably tied to the start of the new school year. The first week of September always sparked feelings of nervous excitement to learn new things and meet people, and I relished the prospect of structure, unmarred by the eventual stale reality of repetition. 

While that’s not quite the case for me anymore, but the spirit of that decades-long pattern still emerges at this time of year. And, lucky for me, working as a journalist lets me meet new people and learn new things on an almost daily basis. 

Now if this darn wildfire smoke would just clear out, we could really have a peak fall experience.

Today, we’ve got an in-depth look at the city and VPD’s final report on event safety following the Lapu Lapu Day tragedy, and what it means for events in Vancouver going forward. 

Let’s get to it. 

— Nate Lewis, Vancity Lookout

As always, you can send your tips, leads, and story ideas to Nate at [email protected].

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free. 

WEATHER

Friday: 23 🌡️ 16 | 🌤️

Saturday: 23 🌡️ 16 | ☁️

Sunday: 19 🌡️ 16 | 🌤️

Monday: 20 🌡️ 14 | ☁️

⚠️ There’s an Air Quality Warning for Vancouver due to wildfire smoke. Recommendations include limiting or avoiding outdoor activity, keeping windows and doors closed if it’s not too hot, drinking plenty of water, and seeking medical attention for any new or worsening symptoms.

PUBLIC SAFETY

City, VPD release final report on outdoor event safety

The city and the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) have released their final report on special event planning and safety, prompted by the alleged attack at the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party in late April, which killed 11 people. 

The report confirmed preliminary findings that no relevant safety information was overlooked in the Block Party’s event planning process, and made eight recommendations for improving safety at special events – specifically focused on mitigating potential harm from “hostile vehicles.” 

Representatives for the city and VPD said they would enact the report’s recommendations quickly. Most are operational and can be taken up directly by city and VPD staff. In contrast, others, specifically a recommendation to fund safety improvements to existing public spaces, will need to be discussed and approved by city council. 

The recommendations include advocating for more resources and guidance on event safety planning from the provincial and federal governments, standardizing safety plan training for event organizers, and formalizing collaboration between the city and VPD for safety design features like bollards and planters in new and upgraded public spaces.

The report detailed how the VPD increased security at some events in the aftermath of the Lapu Lapu tragedy. Over 38 event days in June and July, the VPD deployed six extra heavy vehicle barriers (such as dump trucks) and 71 extra light vehicle barriers (like police cars), compared to the amount of barriers that were used to secure those same events in 2024. The VPD also used a total of 180 mobile vehicle barriers, most of which were rented, which they didn’t have at all in 2024. 

Drazen Manojlovic with the VPD said the increased safety measures “were really just a precaution. They weren't in response to a heightened risk that was specific to an event, as much as… to reassure the community,” in light of the alleged vehicle attack at the Lapu Lapu Day event. 

“While we had one eye on improving event safety and the community's sense of safety at events, we also wanted to continue to do proper risk assessments and not overreact and over-resource any events where the risk assessment didn’t call for it,” Manojlovic told reporters at a technical briefing on Thursday. 

A major focus of the report was achieving a balance for special events — ensuring an event is safe, while having those safeguards be reasonable, proportional, and financially sustainable. 

As an example, the report highlighted the city and VPD’s approach at Italian Day on Commercial Drive in early June, where they used 73 mobile vehicle barriers and replaced saw-horse barricades – which provide a visual cue rather than physical protection – with police cars along side streets. The VPD also increased police deployment by 7 per cent at the event. 

These measures, particularly the rented mobile vehicle barriers, led to a 55 per cent increase in public safety costs at Italian Day compared to 2024. 

While in this case the security costs were paid by the city, it underscores the financial pressures on event organizers – who are already facing numerous financial challenges – when it comes to enhancing safety measures at their events. 

A separate provincial report on the same topic from late June recommended that the province expand targeted grants or financial support to event organizers in an effort to offset those rising costs.

In Vancouver, some events, like Italian Day, already get security costs covered under the city’s Fest Share program. Free events get a higher level of support than ticketed ones, and events need to be non-commercial and open to the public to be eligible for the program. 

There are between 1,900 and 3,000 events and protests every year in Vancouver, according to the VPD. 

The “root cause of the problem”

“It is not physically or financially viable to protect every single [event],” happening in Vancouver, Mayor Ken Sim said in a press conference following the technical briefing. 

“We have to get to the root cause of the problem,” Sim said, regarding threats of attacks on people and public events. 

“What we're finding is the root cause of a lot of these challenges goes back to mental health and people who aren’t getting the care they need. We need to have that conversation, because that's the more effective way of making sure people are safe… we're not going to solve anything unless we get to the mental health aspect of these issues,” Sim said. 

Sim was clear that, for legal reasons, his comments about mental health were general and not specific to the Lapu Lapu Day incident. 

The mental health of Kai-Ji Adam Lo, who faces 11 counts of second-degree murder for allegedly driving an SUV into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party, is currently before the courts as a judge decides whether he is fit to stand trial. 

It’s been previously reported that Lo was under the care of a mental health team from Vancouver Coastal Health and was being supervised under the province’s Mental Health Act at the time of the alleged attack. 

The proceedings on Lo’s mental fitness are currently under a sweeping publication ban, meaning information presented in court can’t be published. A consortium of media outlets is challenging the ban, and a judge will rule on both the ban and Lo’s fitness to stand trial next week, according to CBC.

In September 2023, Blair Donnelly, a man with mental health challenges and a history of unprovoked violence, allegedly stabbed and seriously injured three people at the Light Up Chinatown! festival while on a day pass from a psychiatric hospital in Coquitlam, according to CBC. Donnelly’s case could go to trial as soon as this month, according to VIA.

“Our hands are tied, so we are asking, we are begging, for action from the province,” Sim said, referring to healthcare being a provincial rather than a city responsibility.

FIFA security costs could rise

Looking ahead, it’s notable that next summer will see a massive influx of visitors, high-profile events, and potential protests surrounding the FIFA World Cup. In that context, the report’s recommendations and the city’s and VPD’s preparedness to secure high-risk events will be tested at a different level.

“VPD owns the security for FIFA. That's our lane… if there's a gap, we're going to identify it and we expect it filled. We're not going to play games with gaps in any procedures or lack of equipment,” VPD Chief Constable Steve Rai said in response to questions from Vancity Lookout about how the report’s recommendations will inform the VPD’s approach to security during the tournament. 

“We're going to ensure what we need is tabled, and then we would expect the other stakeholders to come through with the funding for that,” Rai added, saying that security costs could rise depending on which countries are selected to play matches in Vancouver. 

Based on its assessments, the VPD may bring forward strategies that require more equipment or deployment to the city and province, and they, along with the federal government, will have to share responsibility for those funding decisions, Rai said. 

Jeff Neuman, the VPD’s FIFA lead, added that “although the [report’s] guidelines will be in development, I can say that from my experience working with [Vancouver’s FIFA committee], as soon as anything is identified to me as a gap, it will be implemented.” 

“The VPD and the entire security infrastructure have the full support of the City of Vancouver,” Mayor Sim added. 

The overall budget for FIFA in Vancouver is currently estimated between ​​$530 million and $625 million, including a $200+ million bill for Vancouver.

THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

3%

That’s how much Vancouver home sales rose in August, compared to 2024. Detached and attached home sales are up nearly 10 per cent from last year, suggesting that people are entering and re-entering the market at higher price points, while the value of condos continues to drop. Read more. [CBC]

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THE AGENDA

Someone has fallen overboard on a BC Ferries vessel each day for the past two days. Rescue crews, including those from BC Ferries, the Canadian Coast Guard, BC Emergency Health Services, and local private vessels, responded to the unrelated incidents. Read more. [City News]

🍕 Firefighters were able to successfully put out a blaze at the Pizza Garden restaurant on Commercial Dr. at Napier St. The business, as well as the residential units above it, were evacuated without injury. Read more. [City News]

🏠 As Vancouver’s rental market eases slightly, several new purpose-built rental projects are popping up across the city, as developers acknowledge that home ownership isn’t the goal for everyone. Read more. [BC Business]

🪧 B.C. civil servants continued to picket at locations across the province, with their union, BCGEU, saying that workers will continue to strike for “as long as it takes”. The union is asking for an 8.25 per cent wage increase over two years, plus a cost-of-living increase, and says that, thus far, there has been no indication from the NDP government that a better offer will be put forward at the bargaining table. Read more. [The Canadian Press]

📉 Lululemon shares fell on Thursday after the company reported weaker sales in Q2 and the impacts of U.S. tariffs and the elimination of the U.S.’s de minimis exemption, which had allowed tax free imports on online orders under US$800. The Economist is already claiming that as trends swing towards baggy, the brand has “fallen out of fashion”. Read more. [BBC]

👮 There have been several pedestrians killed on Vancouver roads this week. An 81-year-old man was struck and killed by a car on Southeast Marine Drive near Knight, while a woman in her 30s was struck and killed by a car at Commercial and East Hastings. Both accidents occurred in the early morning, around 4 and 5 am. Another serious accident occurred on Clark Drive near 3rd Avenue at about 1:30 pm on Thursday. People at the scene said the victim was a cyclist, but police have not announced or confirmed any details, including whether there were any fatalities. [VPD, Vancity Lookout]   

✈️ Harbour Air has announced new and enhanced summer and winter routes, as well as new routes ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Read more. [Curiocity]

WEEKEND EVENT GUIDE

Vancouver Fringe Festival | Sept. 4-14 | Various spots around town | Annual alternative theatre festival, with novice and veteran performers | Tickets various prices

Friends of the Vancouver Public Library Fall Book Sale | Vancouver Public Library, 350 West Georgia St., Vancouver | Sept. 4–7, 10 am–5 pm | Shop over 50,000 used books starting at just $2 at this popular fall sale | Free entry, books from $2

'Return from the Burn' Burners & Beers | The Fringe Bar, 1531 Johnston Street, Granville Island, Vancouver | Sept. 5, 6 pm | Post-Burning Man social with drinks, community and fringe celebration | Free

Picklefest Vancouver | City Centre Artist Lodge, 2111 Main St., Vancouver | Sept. 6, 11 am–8 pm | Canada’s biggest pickle fest with vendors, contests, live music and fermented fun | Tickets $28.27, kids under 12 free

Nation Extreme Wrestling: Final Testament | The Wise, 1882 Adanac St., Vancouver | Sept. 6, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm | High-flying wrestling action featuring local stars and tag team matches | Tickets $22+

Walk for the Kitties 2025: 25th Anniversary | Jericho Beach, Vancouver | Sept. 7, 9:30 am | Fundraising walk for cat rescue charity celebrates 25 years with a 5 km beach loop | Tickets

LEGO® Block Party | Kensington Branch Library, 1428 Cedar Cottage Mews, Vancouver | Sept. 6, 2–4 pm | Drop-in LEGO® building fun for kids in Grades K–7 at the library | Free

Car Free Day Commercial Drive | Commercial Drive, Grandview to 1st Ave, Vancouver | Sept. 6, 12–7 pm | Street festival with food, music, vendors and activities in a car-free celebration | Free

Vancouver Vegan Festival 2025 | Kitsilano Beach Park, Vancouver | Sept. 6, 9 am–7 pm | Plant-based food, music, community and beach vibes—all free at this vegan summer festival | Free

Polish Festival | Shipbuilders Square and Pipe Shop, 115 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver | Sept. 6, 1–9 pm | Live entertainment, food, and a Polish marketplace for the whole family | Free

Make friends in Vancouver | The London Pub, Vancouver | Sept. 9, 6:30–9 pm | Language exchange and social mixer to meet locals and internationals | Free

Great Outdoors Comedy Festival - Vancouver | Stanley Park, Vancouver | Sept. 12–14 | Outdoor comedy fest with major headliners like Bert Kreischer and John Mulaney | Tickets various prices

Grand Bazaar | VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver | Sept. 13, 9 am–3 pm | Antique and vintage market supporting SMOC, with 40+ local vendors | $10–$15

End of Summer Mount Pleasant Block Party | 300 Block E 11th Ave, Vancouver | Sept. 20, 12–5 pm | Final block party of the summer with food, drinks, music and vendors | Free

Vancouver Audio Festival | HiFi Centre, 23 West Pender Street, Vancouver | Sept. 20, 10 am–5 pm | Hear exclusive product demos and music in high-end listening rooms | Free

Bits + Bobs Samples and Seconds SALE | Heritage Hall, Vancouver | Sept. 20, 10 am–3 pm | Discount art, craft supplies and studio samples from local makers | Free

Japan Market Fall Festival | Robson Square Ice Rink, Vancouver | Sept. 28, 11 am–6 pm | 60+ vendors offering Japanese crafts, food, workshops and performances | Tickets $4

Should we cover the impact of FIFA 2026 on Vancouver?

WE’re in the midst of a critical reader survey on whether we should expand our coverage this and next year of FIFA 2026 and its impact on Vancouver.

Your feedback will help shape this story. Take a minute to complete this survey.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Have you seen this lost cat somewhere near East 7th and Prince Edward in Mount Pleasant? You can get in touch with his owner through Reddit if you see or find him 🤞

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• The Vancouver Art Gallery received a donation of 23 works by Haida artist Guud san glans Robert Davidson. [Miss604]

• Here’s another reason to visit Capstan, Metrotown, and Olympic Village TransLink stations: they now have vending machines selling Japanese snacks. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• Attendees of the “Everything Electric” will have the opportunity to test drive new electric cars this weekend. [Daily Hive]

• Vancouver Writers Fest has announced its lineup for this year, including a special event with Canadian legend Margaret Atwood. [Stir]

VANCOUVER GUESSER

Last week’s Guesser stumped most of you. Only 11 readers knew it was Oppenheimer Park featured in the photo. For this week, we’re staying on the same theme, but this time I’ve got a hint for you: this pocket park was the subject of some controversy that we wrote about this past spring.

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