Update on deadly Kelowna crane crash expected this week

An update of the July 12, 2021 crane collapse that killed five men in Kelowna is expected this week.

It comes as the North Okanagan Labour Council is working with the families of the victims on the design of a memorial to the fallen workers.

“We’re really mindful that four of the victims were crane workers and the fifth was working in the sector in an adjacent building,” Kelly Hutchinson, vice-president of the labour council, told iNFOnews.ca. “Because of the different experience of the fifth, it makes it really difficult to come up with a design that represents all of them.”

Cailen Vilness, Eric and Patrick Stemmer and Jared Zook were construction workers who died when the crane collapsed next to the Brooklyn housing tower in downtown Kelowna.

Brad Zawislak was killed inside a neighbouring building where he was working.

READ MORE: Kelowna crane collapse victim 'not a footnote' to the tragedy: Family

Not knowing just what happened that day has also made the design difficult to develop.

When asked by iNFOnews.ca if there was still an ongoing police investigation into the collapse, Kelowna RCMP said in an email they are working on a joint release with WorkSafeBC that will likely be out early this week.

The labour council has spoken with individual family members of the victims about the memorial. Nothing is yet decided but suggestions range from pillars of lights to circles of stones.

The target is to have a design selected, largely by those family members, before the end of June with the aim of having the monument finished by the end of the year. It will be in Knowles Heritage Park at the corner of Bernard Avenue and Ethel Street.

“We’re tossing around the idea of doing something more modern where, potentially, it has a QR code interface or something where people can get more information on what it’s about or the story of the victims themselves,” Hutchinson said. “We’re trying to make it so it has two layers, a front facing layer but also something deeper.”

There’s also the potential that the monument will be a tribute to all fallen workers in the city and, as such, the labour council will be looking for not only cash contributions but ways to involve the community in building it.

Money has been donated by the Roofing Contractors Association of BC for the design work.

A fundraising drive will be launched this summer to fund the memorial, which could cost as much as $100,000.

“We’re just asking the community to keep an eye on this in the summer and if you still feel the same way as you did initially when it happened and you want to make a contribution to the city to recognize not only them but everyone else who has sacrificed for our city, then keep an eye on it and contribute one way or another,” Hutchinson said.

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