It's been the three years since the crane at the Brooklyn tower collapsed in downtown Kelowna killing five people – one of the worst tragedies the city has seen.
On the morning of July 12, 2021, the tower crane attached to the under-construction residential building collapsed, while crews were attempting to disassemble it.
Construction workers Cailen Vilness, Jared Zook, and brothers Patrick and Eric Stemmer were killed in the workplace disaster, while Brad Zawislak, was killed when the crane hit the building next door.
Multiple investigations have been undertaken to determine the cause of the tragedy, but three years on, no conclusions have been released publicly.
The RCMP completed its investigation into the incident earlier this year, and recommended a charge of criminal negligence causing death be laid. But it's not clear who the charges would be laid against.
At this time, the BC Prosecution Service has yet to lay any charges, only saying that the charge assessment process is “ongoing.”
A WorkSafeBC report has been completed but the agency has said it won't release its findings until the criminal matter is completed. Several key recommendations have been released though.
A memorial to honour those killed in the collapse is planned for Kelowna's Knowles Heritage Park at 865 Bernard Avenue. While organizers, made up of many of the victims' families, initially had hoped to have the project completed by today, funding issues have delayed its construction.
But Thursday, the City of Kelowna and Mission Group – the developer of the Brooklyn Tower – announced they will provide contingency funding to ensure the project can begin later this year.
