Taiwanese Canadian community pays tribute to slain B.C. RCMP officer

Members of British Columbia's Taiwanese Canadian community are paying tribute to a Burnaby Mountie who was stabbed to death in the line of duty this week.

William Tsai says he got to know RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang four years ago when she was a civilian volunteer working on raising mental health awareness among teenagers.

Tsai says in an interview in Mandarin that Yang was passionate about the cause, dedicated to lifting up others, and teenagers involved in her volunteer work saw her as a role model.

He says the death of the 31-year-old officer has left the community heartbroken but proud.

Ruby Ba, president of the B.C.'s Taiwanese Canadian Association, says the community will do whatever it can to support Yang's family, and has been in contact with the RCMP about holding a memorial in her honour.

Yang, who was a homeless and mental health outreach officer, was partnered with a municipal worker on Tuesday when she was fatally stabbed in an altercation at a homeless camp site in Burnaby, east of Vancouver.

Jongwon Ham has been charged with first-degree murder and is expected to make a court appearance on Nov. 2.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Taiwan's de facto diplomatic office in Vancouver, says Yang was the daughter of immigrants from Taichung in central Taiwan.

Tsai says community members hope to hold a memorial next month to pay tribute to Yang's contributions to Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2022.

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.