By Xiao Ran
On Dec. 6, 2025, nearly 800 Hong Kong-Canadian residents and exiled Hongkongers gathered outside North York’s Memorial Community Hall, quietly forming a line that stretched across the plaza. Each held a white flower, waiting to pay their respects to those who died in the catastrophic fire that tore through Hung Fuk Court in Tai Po late last month. The one-hour memorial, organized by the Canada-Hong Kong Link along with the groups Never Forget and the Toronto Hongkongers Parents Association, became one of the largest Hong Kong diaspora gatherings in Canada since 2019.
Inside, a recreated Lennon Wall quickly vanished beneath layers of handwritten notes — messages of mourning, solidarity, anger, and defiance. “Rest in peace,” one read. Others said, “Seek the truth,” “Pray for Tai Po,” and the familiar rallying cry from the protest years: “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times.” For many, the sight of the wall brought back memories of 2019, as if the movement had briefly reassembled on a winter afternoon in Toronto.
The fire itself, which struck a high-rise complex undergoing exterior renovation, killed 159 people, injured 79, and left more than 30 unaccounted for — Hong Kong’s worst fire since 1948. The scale of the disaster, combined with early reports of malfunctioning fire systems and blocked escape routes, fueled grief as well as suspicion.
Officials call for a full investigation
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow attended the ceremony and spoke with reporters afterward. She said she came to “mourn the more than 150 Hongkongers burned to death” and to support the diaspora’s call for justice.
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“We must ensure tragedies like this are prevented,” she said. “I also stand behind ongoing fundraising efforts for affected families. Accountability matters. Justice matters. And many victims are still unaccounted for.”
Member of Parliament Ali Ehsassi, whose Willowdale district includes a rapidly growing Hong Kong community, echoed the sentiment. He said he had spoken with constituents shaken by the news: “This tragedy has deeply saddened us all. Without a thorough investigation, neither the community here nor the community in Hong Kong can have peace of mind.”
Clement Wong, president of the Canada-Hong Kong Link, called the disaster “entirely preventable.” He pointed to widespread reports of failed fire systems and the arrest of Hongkongers who had attempted to raise safety concerns.
“When more than 150 people die and dozens more are missing, this is not just a tragic accident,” he said. “This is systemic failure. The Hong Kong government should launch an independent investigation. Instead, it arrests those who ask questions. Those of us overseas must continue speaking for those who cannot.”
Former Tai Po district councillor Woo Yiu-chung, who left Hong Kong after the 2019 crackdown, told Vision Times that the flaws exposed by the fire go far beyond one building.
“This is a structural problem,” he said. “Not just a contractor’s issue — this is about government departments that failed to supervise. The investigation is opaque. Hong Kong should establish a statutory commission of inquiry. Half the city’s aging buildings are now under renovation with no adequate safety systems. And the ICAC no longer functions as it once did.”
He added that he planned to carry the Toronto community’s message back to Hong Kong.
Anger and grief within the diaspora
Hundreds of attendees filled the hall for the memorial, many fighting back tears as speakers recounted what had happened. Yet beneath the mourning ran a deeper current of frustration — directed not only at the blaze itself but at the political environment that allowed it to happen.
Mimi Lee, who lived in Hong Kong for 21 years, said she immediately thought of her grandmother, who once lived in Tai Po. She spoke in Cantonese, visibly shaken as she recalled learning that seven towers had gone up in flames within minutes.
“That doesn’t happen without human cause,” she said. “The nets were supposed to be non-flammable. Instead the fire raced upward. All the alarms were off. The foam insulation acted like fuel — just like the Grenfell Tower tragedy in the UK —yet Hong Kong still uses it. Homeowners had warned about this. No one listened. This is corruption — government colluding with business, no press freedom, an ICAC that no longer works.”
She said that even donating to help survivors had become complicated: “We’re afraid of being accused of ‘colluding with foreign forces.’ Even charity can be dangerous.”
Stephen, another attendee who spent a decade in Hong Kong before immigrating to Canada, traced the disaster back to what he called “irreparable corruption.” After 2019, he said, Hong Kong became “even more corrupt than mainland China. No oversight, no free press, no legislators willing to speak.”
He addressed those still living in Tai Po: “Stay strong. The day we return will come. Action brings hope. We will keep petitioning and applying pressure overseas.”
Tango Wong, who leads the advocacy group Never Forget, said the news of the fire had left him grieving for days.
“Ordinary families — elders, children, even pets-were swallowed by flames during something as mundane as exterior renovation,” he said. “This tragedy should never have happened.”
He noted the large turnout as evidence that “overseas Hongkongers have not forgotten their home” and said diaspora communities must stay united:
“We must expose the regime’s cruelty to the world. That is our responsibility. Hongkongers inside the city are under immense pressure; they cannot speak. Because we are free, we must.”
Civil Human Rights Front (Canada) deputy secretary-general Hau Sze-kwan placed the blame squarely on Beijing’s tightening grip.
“‘Fifty years unchanged’ is long gone,” he said. “Hong Kong’s freedoms are dead. A world financial center has collapsed. The root of this evil is the CCP. This fire proves it. We must overthrow tyranny. It is time for people to awaken.”
A mainland Chinese Canadian named Lin Xiang, who also attended the memorial, expressed solidarity:
“I came to quietly support the Hongkongers who died in this fire. It was caused by corruption. They are covering up the truth. We must expose the CCP and Hong Kong authorities to the world. Only by ending CCP rule can such tragedies stop.”
A community united in mourning
As the ceremony drew to a close, Clement Wong read a declaration on behalf of the hosts. The hall then erupted briefly in a single chant-“Hong Kong add oil!” —before falling silent. Attendees dispersed slowly, leaving behind rows of flowers and a glowing Lennon Wall filled with handwritten messages.
Under the dim evening light, those notes shimmered in the cold air — a quiet reminder that even far from home, the spirit of 2019 still endures in Toronto, carried by those who refuse to forget.
