An artist's rendering of the proposed memorial to the five men who died when a tower crane collapsed two years ago.
Image Credit: Submitted/North Okanagan Labour Council
July 13, 2023 - 7:00 PM
Two days after a tower crane collapsed in Kelowna killing five men on July 12, 2021, almost $200,000 was donated on GoFundMe sites to help their grieving families.
That grew to more than $500,000 within a week in much needed support for surviving family members who are still waiting to learn why the catastrophe happened. Some have now launched lawsuits.
A new fundraising campaign was launched yesterday, July 12, aimed at raising $300,000 to build a permanent memorial to honor the five victims.
Within a day, just under $1,500 was shown as being donated on a United Way fundraising site.
“The first half (of the fundraising drive) is going to look a little slow because it’s just individuals contributing what they can in an arguably pretty tough economy,” Kelly Hutchinson, vice-president of the North Okanagan Labour Council, told iNFOnews.ca. “When the bigger donations come, that needle will start to climb faster.”
The plan is to lobby labour organizations, community groups, builder organizations and businesses as the campaign ticks along.
The Mission Group, whose construction site at its Brooklyn condo tower was where the crane fell, has yet to be approached or to contribute, Hutchinson said.
But, in an October 2021 news release, Mission Group said it was in discussions with the families and “working towards plans for an appropriate memorial for the Brooklyn site.”
READ MORE: Mission Group working with families of Kelowna crane collapse victims to design memorial
The memorial won’t be at the Brooklyn site, which is near the corner of Bernard Avenue and St. Paul Street in downtown Kelowna.
It is planned for Knowles Park, which is about three blocks west of the site at Bernard Avenue and Ethel Street.
The Mission Group has been named in at least nine lawsuits that have been filed.
READ MORE: Three widows suing manufacturer in Kelowna crane collapse
The company did not respond to an email request for information by publication time.
While the fundraising goal is $300,000, Hutchinson is hoping the actual cash cost will be lower if materials and labour are donated.
He also noted that the United Way thermometer-shaped graph showing how much money has been donated is not updated in real time so there may be a lag in donations being made and when they are displayed.
The hope is to have the monument completed before the end of the year but, at the very least, by the third anniversary of the tragedy in 2024.
The crane collapsed while it was being taken down from the Brooklyn site. Four construction workers, Cailen Vilness, Eric and Patrick Stemmer and Jared Zook, died almost instantly.
READ MORE: Mother tormented as she waited for news of her son after fatal Kelowna crane collapse
Brad Zawislak was working in the Protech Consultants office nearby when the cage of the crane crashed into the building, crushing him. It took two days before his body was recovered.
While the workers were not unionized, the North Okanagan Labour Council has been working with the families to design and build the memorial.
“We represent worker safety for our members and we work on regulations that represent all workers,” Hutchinson said. “It’s kind of our motto – what we wish for ourselves we wish for all. We’re close to worker safety in our own circles so we might as well extend it to those circles as well.”
Donate to the memorial fund here. Tax receipts can be issued for donations of $25 or more.
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