Kelowna memorial unveiled on 4th anniversary of crane collapse that killed 5 workers

CBC

4 days ago

A permanent memorial garden honouring five men killed in a catastrophic crane collapse in Kelowna was unveiled Saturday, marking four years since the fatal workplace incident.
The Rise Memorial Gardens, located at Knowles Heritage Park in downtown Kelowna, was created to honour Cailen Vilness, Jared Zook, brothers Eric and Patrick Stemmer, and Brad Zawislak.
The five men died on July 12, 2021, when the arm of a tower crane collapsed from about 25 storeys up during the dismantling process. The crane, which was being used to build a residential tower by Mission Group on St. Paul Street, crashed into a neighbouring office building.
Vilness, Zook, and the Stemmer brothers were working on the construction site at the time. Eric and Patrick Stemmer, aged 32 and 28, were employed by their family's company, Stemmer Construction, which had been contracted to operate the crane.
Zawislak, 43 at the time, was inside his office at Protech Consulting when the crane struck.
Space for reflection
On Saturday, the families of the five men gathered alongside community members for the memorial's unveiling. The space features five dogwood trees, one for each man.
"The trees surround a legacy oak tree that represents the cohesion between the families and the community that built the space," said Kelly Hutchinson, secretary and treasurer of the memorial's foundation.
Hutchinson said the garden is meant to be a peaceful space for grief, healing, and reflection not just for the families of the five men, but for anyone affected by workplace tragedies.
"There's actually been many tragedies and accidents since and there's been no place that invites someone to come in and be at peace, process, and remember. So now it exists."
Pam and Steven Zook, whose son Jared died in the collapse, described the unveiling as a deeply emotional moment.
"Mixed emotions…sadness of remembering what we're missing out on, but just the joy of seeing what was accomplished here with this memorial," said Steven.
"It'll be a peaceful place to come because we know it's a representation of our son," he added. "In a sense, he's sitting there with us."
Pam said her son, known affectionately as "Uncle Bear" was deeply family-oriented.
"He was warm and fuzzy," she said. "Family was everything to him."
Layne Vilness remembers his brother Cailen Vilness as someone who "wore his heart on his sleeve."
"You couldn't find a single ounce of hate in his heart," he said.
Union demands justice for families
While the memorial marks a space for remembrance, families and labour groups say the lack of accountability over the incident continues to weigh heavily.
The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 115, which represents crane operators across B.C., issued a statement Saturday calling on the B.C. Prosecution Service to move forward with a criminal trial and deliver justice to the victims' families.
In February 2024, the Kelowna RCMP recommended a charge of criminal negligence causing death in connection with the crane collapse.
"The families are no closer to seeing justice for their loved ones," said IUOE Local 115 business manager Bryan Railton. "And the industry is no closer to understanding what happened that day."
WATCH | 'Multiple' deaths after crane collapse in Kelowna, B.C.:
'Multiple' deaths after crane collapse in Kelowna, B.C.
4 years ago
Duration 2:53
The union says there have been four other tower crane incidents in the province since the 2021 collapse.
In a statement, the B.C. Prosecution Service confirmed it received the RCMP's report but said "the complex police investigation and charge assessment process is ongoing," and no timeline for a decision has been provided.
For the Zook family, the garden is both a tribute and a quiet demand for safety and accountability.
"There needs to be a continued push for workplace safety that still has to be the most important part because we do not want any other families be affected like us," said Steven Zook.