Marking one year since deadly Kelowna crane collapse
Posted July 12, 2022 12:45 pm.
Last Updated July 12, 2022 1:37 pm.
It’s been one year since five people were killed in a crane collapse in Kelowna.
On July 12, 2021, a construction crane in the downtown area of the Okanagan city fell onto an adjacent building. The incident prompted the city to declare a state of emergency, with evacuations for surrounding buildings also ordered.
The remains of the toppled crane were removed days later, with almost all evacuation orders lifted as a result.
The developer of the 28-storey building where the crane fell has previously said the collapse was the result of a “catastrophic failure” that happened during the “dismantling process.”
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The deadly collapse prompted more calls for enhanced protocols and mandated training. In the wake of the tragedy, the union of operating engineers in B.C. once again pushed for mandatory training for those who are tasked with putting up and taking down tower cranes. It also called for a provincial registry of those who have this specialized training.
Four of the people who died in the collapse were construction workers employed at the site. They were Eric and Patrick Stemmer, Jared Zook, and Cailen Vilness.
The fifth person was later identified as a man who was killed when the wreckage crushed part of a neighbouring building where he was working.
In the wake of the tragedy, many people across B.C. placed high-visibility vests out at front of their homes in honour of those killed.
People across B.C. put high-visibility vests and jackets outside their homes in the wake of a deadly crane collapse in Kelowna on July 12, 2021. (Image credits, from far left then clockwise starting from top left: Melissa Graham, Anthony Eneas, Liseanne Doiron, Sam Honeyman, Kim Johnston)
The collapse in Kelowna also came just weeks before another crane fell in North Vancouver.
One person was killed in that case, while another person was hurt.
-With files from Denise Wong, Claire Fenton, and Liza Yuzda
