Aaron Chan Tribute

Friends gathered outside a downtown Vancouver nightclub to remember a driven and talented young musician who was fatally stabbed there.

A shrine of roses, sunflowers, lilies and other flowers were taped to a light standard outside the front doors of the Atlantis Night Club on Richards Street, where Yau Aaron Chan, 25, was slain.

A ring of six oranges, into which lit cigarettes had been placed, formed a semicircle around the shrine, which also included photos of Chan with his buddies or playing basketball.

A sign near the flowers read: "This shouldn't have happened . . . he will be missed by all of us."

"He was a huge mentor and one of my best friends. I don't believe this has happened," said Roger Sheung. "It's going to be hard to go on without him.

"It's unreal. He's the last person on this earth I would think this would happen to."

Chan, who was originally from Hong Kong, lived in Richmond but would go back and forth between Canada and China promoting his music career.

It was believed he was at the club with his girlfriend when he got involved in a fight outside and was stabbed. Chan later died of his injuries, police said.

Police would not release any more details about the incident and would not say whether anyone had been arrested in connection with the stabbing.

His death has stunned his close friends, who said Chan was a talented hip hop artist who often visited the club to promote his CDs, to perform, or just to hang out with friends.

In October, he was going to be the master of ceremonies at Sheung's wedding and sing a song for the bride and groom. The song he wrote, however, was never recorded before he died.

"Anything we needed, he was there for us; he would drop everything," Sheung said. "There are six of us like family; we're there for each other."

Music, along with basketball, were Chan's main loves, friends said. A strong point guard, Chan would play basketball with his friends about three times a week. The rest of his time was devoted to his music.

"He was one of the most driven people I knew," said a tearful Rhys Williams.

"If he wanted something he would never stop until he got it. That's the way he was with his music."