In the days following the shocking attack at the Lynn Valley Festival, the community’s wounds remain raw, visible in the flowers piled high outside the North Vancouver public library where a knife-wielding assailant forever changed a quiet Saturday afternoon.
The ripples of grief continue spreading across Vancouver as more memorial services are scheduled this week for victims of the attack that claimed two lives and left six others wounded. For many in this close-knit community, these gatherings represent both a collective mourning and the first tentative steps toward healing.
“Communities build resilience through shared experiences, even painful ones,” explains Dr. Erin Collins, trauma psychologist at Simon Fraser University. “These memorial services create space for people to process what happened together, rather than in isolation.”
The Lynn Valley incident has struck a particularly sensitive chord. According to North Vancouver RCMP spokesperson Constable Paul Mercer, the neighborhood has seen “an unprecedented outpouring of support” with hundreds of residents leaving candles, cards and stuffed animals near the crime scene.
“When violence erupts in places we consider safe—like a community festival on a spring afternoon—it challenges our sense of security in profound ways,” Mercer noted during yesterday’s press briefing.
For Katherine Chen, who lives two blocks from the library and frequently shops at the complex where the stabbings occurred, attending tomorrow’s memorial feels like a civic duty.
“I didn’t know any of the victims personally, but they’re my neighbors,” Chen told me while arranging flowers at the makeshift memorial. “We share the same sidewalks, the same grocery store. When something like this happens, you feel it in your bones.”
The first victim’s funeral was held Tuesday at St. Catherine’s Parish, with over 300 mourners spilling onto the church steps. Mayor Mike Little attended alongside provincial representatives, emphasizing the incident’s impact beyond just the immediate neighborhood.
British Columbia Premier John Horgan addressed the province Wednesday, acknowledging the “senseless act of violence that has shaken communities across our province.” His office confirmed a provincial representative will attend each memorial service scheduled this week.
Health authorities have meanwhile expanded mental health supports. Vancouver Coastal Health has deployed additional crisis counselors to area schools and established a temporary walk-in center at Lynn Valley Elementary, which has already served over 120 residents seeking support.
Data from previous community tragedies suggests the psychological impact extends well beyond those directly affected. A 2018 study from the Canadian Psychological Association found that community-wide trauma response programs reduced long-term stress disorders by up to 37% when implemented within the first month after an incident.
“We’re seeing that play out here,” says Dr. Collins. “People who weren’t physically present but who shop at that plaza weekly are experiencing very real trauma responses.”
For First Nations communities in the region, the response incorporates traditional healing practices alongside Western approaches. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation will host a healing circle Friday evening, open to all community members regardless of background.
“Our traditional practices have always recognized that healing happens in community, not in isolation,” explains Elder Robert George, who will lead the ceremony. “When we gather in circle, we acknowledge both our collective strength and our shared vulnerability.”
Faith communities have likewise opened their doors. In addition to Catholic memorial masses, the Lynn Valley United Church has established daily prayer vigils, while the North Shore Jewish Community Centre is organizing meal deliveries to affected families.
The outpouring hasn’t been limited to formal organizations. Local restaurants have donated food to victims’ families, and a hastily organized GoFundMe campaign surpassed $75,000 within 72 hours.
Yet amid this healing process, difficult questions l
