Monday, May 5, 2025

Mental Health and Your Community

As the Filipino and Vancouver communities are left to grieve their loss following the Lapu Lapu Festival tragedy, so too may others around you need support and healing

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By Kristine Cavey, Representative

On Saturday, April 26, a celebration in Vancouver, BC, turned to what has been called “the darkest day in the city’s history.”

Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu Festival ended with sorrow when a man ploughed through the crowd with an SUV, killing at least 11 people aged 5 to 65.

For me, a native-born Filipina, resident of the region, and union representative of those in the healthcare sector, this was a piercing blow. Following the initial shock of the news, I admit I was angry. Really angry. I wanted answers, craved justice, and needed to hear reassurances that something like this would never, ever happen again.

What can I do? I thought. What can “they” do? Eventually, I came to ask, what can we do?

This blog is not a post to cast blame or make judgments. It is not to blast the suspect. Nor is it meant to lambaste the municipal government, its police department, nor the provincial and federal governments and their policies. This blog is about support and comes from a person hurt but sincerely grateful for the humanity in family, friends, and the broader community.

As of this writing, it’s been exactly one week since that horrendous and devastating day. In that time, gestures of support have flooded into the city and those in and around it.

Services, masses, ceremonies, and vigils have been held to honour those who are no longer with us. The GoFundMe pages have surpassed their fundraising goals, some over 400 percent. And the site of the festival remains full of flowers and notes of condolence and commemoration.

The outpouring of support toward the victims, their families, and the wider community of Filipino and Asian groups, as well as the City of Vancouver—it has all been deeply moving. To me, the wave of sympathies and resources flowing in demonstrate just how much this hits home; it’s personal.

This week, I am reminded that issues of mental health never just impact one single person. The one suffering is an individual that is part of a larger group, a member of a family, and a fellow within their community.

Last weekend’s incident has shown me, again, just how connected we are. How a single person’s actions have a multiplying effect. How the quiet thoughts in one’s mind manifest and materialize to the benefit—or detriment—of those around them.

As a CLAC representative, it is apparent that mental health is paramount. We work with others, day in and day out. We share workspaces, equipment, and tables.

Inevitably, we share time and make memories. The proximity we have with one another, over time, builds bonds and trust. This is the fabric of society, and mental health is at its core.

The World Health Organization claims that “mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships, and shape the world we live in. Mental health is a basic human right. And it is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development.”

In short, mental health care and healthcare are inherent, and we all need it.

My closing thoughts are this: remember the humanity in each other. As the Filipino and Vancouver communities are left to grieve their loss, so too may others around you need support and healing.

Maybe you are also in need. If someone you know is struggling with mental health, offer your support and encourage getting help. If you, yourself, are struggling with mental health, you are not alone.

As a union, we recognize the value of mental health. CLAC has a full team dedicated to mental health, substance use, and wellness supports. We offer mental health first aid (MHFA), providing the skills for early intervention, as well as the Derek Schreiber MHFA Bursary through the CLAC Foundation.

As a CLAC member, you may also have access to our employee and family assistance program. Contact your CLAC representative or local member centre to find out more.

For information on the Lapu Lapu Festival, to get support, or learn how to help, see the list below.

Mental Health and Your Community

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