Enough money raised for Kelowna crane collapse memorial to proceed

Plans to build a memorial to the five men who died in a 2021 Kelowna tower crane collapse are moving ahead.

While the online fundraiser by the North Okanagan Labour Council to raise money for the permanent memorial has a goal of $300,000, it’s collected more than $122,000 so the project is ready to move forward.

“We've comfortably crossed $100,000 and so now we are proceeding to the next steps,” organizer Kelly Hutchinson, vice-president of the labour council, said in an email to iNFOnews.ca today, Oct. 31.

Hutchinson said the council would like to see construction started in April at the latest so it's completed in time for the July 12th anniversary of the tragedy.

Finalizing the construction documents is expected to be completed in December while tendering to invited bidders should be done by February.

Estimates are showing the project can probably be completed for $200,000 so more contributions are still needed. Donations can be made here.

While some corporations have made donations, Hutchinson couldn't say which companies or if the Mission Group was one of them.

The July 12, 2021, tragedy struck when the tower crane at the Mission Group’s Brooklyn highrise in downtown Kelowna collapsed as it was being dismantled.

Four construction workers — Cailen Vilness, Eric and Patrick Stemmer and Jared Zook — died on the construction site and Brad Zawislak was killed inside a neighbouring building where he was working.

A number of lawsuits were launched this spring just before the two-year deadline for filing passed.

READ MORE: Three widows suing manufacturer in Kelowna crane collapse

In May of this year, WorkSafeBC wrapped up its investigation of the collapse but has refused to make its findings public. Instead, its report was turned over to the RCMP whose investigation into possible criminal charges is ongoing.

The memorial will be built in Knowles Park at the corner of Bernard Avenue and Ethel Street just a few blocks away from the collapse

The fundraising efforts were launched July 12, on the second anniversary of the crash.

“It certainly has felt like a long time, probably because the community has been through so much this summer, but actually it's only been a 100 days since the unveiling of the idea,” Hutchinson wrote.

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