On a cold night in Stanley Park on November 17, 2001, 42-year-old gay photographer Aaron Webster was brutally beaten by a group of young men near a known cruising area before dying from a neck injury caused by a blow that severed his vertebral artery. Witnesses, evidence, and indictment led to several arrests and convictions—some treated as manslaughter rather than hate crime. The case ignited widespread outrage in Vancouver over violence toward LGBTQ+ people, prompted vigils, policy discussions, and public acknowledgment of homophobic hate as a serious issue. Webster’s death remains a pivotal moment in the city’s history of activism, policing, and social change.