British ColumbiaHundreds of people gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery to pay their respects to those who died and the thousands left homeless by the fire in Hong Kong.Over 150 people dead after fire at highrise complex that was under renovation in Hong KongNono Shen · The Canadian Press · Posted: Dec 01, 2025 9:26 PM EST | Last Updated: 8 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Mourners lay flowers at a makeshift memorial in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery to pay tribute to victims who lost their lives in the deadly Hong Kong fire on Sunday. (Nono Shen/The Canadian Press)Family members of more than 150 people who died when seven highrises burned in Hong Kong last week “deserve the truth,” said Phoebe Wong who attended a memorial in Vancouver late Sunday for those killed. Wong said she feels heartbroken and news of the fire hurts for those who have roots in Hong Kong, where she lived before moving to Vancouver a few years ago.”Hong Kong people are so upset about it because we found out it’s not purely an accident,” said Wong, who was among the crowd holding a white placard with the words: “You can ask me about the fire in Hong Kong.””And we believe it’s a chain of corruption behind it, and it’s a chain of mistakes from the government that led to these results,” she added. WATCH | Community gathers to mourn fire victims:B.C.’s Hong Kong community gathers to mourn victims of deadly highrise fireThe death toll continues to rise after a massive fire tore through an apartment complex in Hong Kong last week. As Janella Hamilton reports, British Columbians with connections to Hong Kong gathered to honour those who have died and the dozens still missing.Wong was among hundreds of people who lined up around the art gallery to pay their respects to those who died and the thousands left homeless by the fire. Candles, notes of condolences and hundreds of bouquets of white flowers — a symbol of mourning in Chinese culture — were placed on the gallery’s steps in the silent gathering, each person bowed after placing their offering, many wiped away tears. Officials in Hong Kong said the fire started last Wednesday in netting covering bamboo scaffolding around one building in the Wang Fuk Court complex before it spread to the other residential towers. Authorities said some of the netting on the buildings that had been under renovation didn’t meet their code for fire safety and Hong Kong’s anti-corruptions agency has arrested 14 people.Mourners at the Vancouver memorial paid their respects to those who died in the fire. (Janella Hamilton/CBC)Eric Chan, Hong Kong’s chief secretary, said investigators collected 20 samples of the netting from all areas, including higher floors, and found seven failed safety standards, suggesting contractors skimped to make greater profits.”They just wanted to make money at the expense of people’s lives,” Chan told reporters in Hong Kong.Vancouver resident Wallace Cheng and his friend Ian Wong attended the memorial and said they had been closely following the latest developments, which made them feel extremely sad.Cheng said he lived in the Taipo District, where the Wang Fuk Court complex is located, before settling in Vancouver with his family. People look at the burnt buildings near the site of a deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong’s New Territories. (Chan Long Hei/The Associated Press)He said he was filled with sorrow and grief when he watched the fire and imagined the residents who couldn’t escape the buildings. “I’m praying for all those families that have been affected by this incident,” said Cheng, 15. Wong moved from Hong Kong to Vancouver two years ago and said it’s devastating to see how much the city has changed since 2019.Hong Kong experienced months-long, large-scale pro-democracy protests in 2019. Mourners at the vigil lit candles and laid bouquets for the dead. (Janella Hamilton/CBC)Wong said the city he grew up in used to be open to debate with the government and residents wouldn’t shy away from holding authorities accountable, but the political atmosphere has changed. “I feel like it’s not Hong Kong anymore,” said Wong. Kenny Chiu, a former Conservative member of Parliament in Richmond, B.C., wiped away tears after placing flowers at the memorial.Chiu said the fire has led him to reflect on the privileges of living in Canada, where people in power can be held accountable and are under scrutiny from the media.He said Canadians can’t take that for granted. “If we keep on ignoring and taking our democracy for granted, as happened in Hong Kong, there is no guarantee that it will not happen in Canada,” said Chiu, who moved from Hong Kong to Canada about 40 years ago.Global Affairs Canada estimates there are about 300,000 Canadians living in Hong Kong, and the federal department said that it’s not aware of any Canadian citizens affected by the fire. With files from The Associated Press
Vigil held in Vancouver to mourn deaths, losses in deadly Hong Kong fire
