Families of those killed by police officers remember loved ones in Vancouver art exhibit

A small art gallery in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside was packed Wednesday afternoon with people who've been affected by police violence.

The Gallery Gachet saw families and friends of those who’ve had loved ones killed by police officers gather to share stories and support on International Day Against Police Brutality.

Laura Holland organized the event called “Honour their Names” to pay tribute to her son Jared Lowndes, who was killed in Campbell River in July of 2021.

“He was so loved by so many people,” said Holland.

Police were attempting to pull over Lowndes for an outstanding warrant when the 38-year-old father of two failed to stop, according to the RCMP.

When police found him hours later in a Tim Hortons drive-thru lane, they boxed him in and confronted with a police service dog.

RCMP say the dog was stabbed and killed, and its handler suffered a knife wound. That’s when police opened fire on Lowndes, killing him.

Holland said her loss is one that is common for Indigenous families. B.C. had Canada's the highest rate of officer-involved killings in 2022.

"We don't have an opportunity to end our grieving, it keeps happening as long as the police keep killing,” said Holland.

Her art exhibit is shining light the number of people who’ve been killed across Canada by police officers. The names of those who’ve been killed hang on the walls throughout the gallery.

“You see one name and you know that it affects a whole family. So there is this huge collective grief that is over our country and just the sheer amount of people that it’s affected,” she said.

Families from across Canada attended the event to share similar stories of grief, a reminder, says Holland, of the extensive work needed to prevent further deaths.

Laura Linklater is a family friend of Holland’s and someone Lowndes called a “second mother.” She says since Lowndes’s death, little has changed.

"We have to change something," Linklater said. "This is so wrong. If you look at each name, at each board, there's a family. There's a community that are left in grief with no answers."

B.C.’s police watchdog made recommendations in late December that the three officers involved in Lowndes' death to face charges related to various uses of force.