B.C. denies funding to build memorial to honour victims of Kelowna’s crane collapse

Vilness added the families have been through enough hardship,  including the ongoing wait for the results of the criminal investigation to be released.

It’s been three and a half years since Steven Zook lost his son Jared in a tragic workplace accident, but the pain is still very real.

“Still the images kind of play through our mind all the time,” Zook told Global News.

Zook’s 32-year old son was among five men, four of them construction workers, who were killed in a catastrophic crane collapse at a downtown Kelowna, B.C., construction site in July 2021.

The tragedy also claimed the lives of Cailen Vilness, brothers Patrick and Eric Stemmer and Brad Zawislak, who was working in an adjacent office.

But the ongoing grief has now been compounded by a decision from the province that will put on hold a memorial project to honour the lives lost in one of B.C.’s worst workplace accidents in recent history.

“Hugely disappointed, like how could they not consider when it is something so important,” Zook said.

Through community donations and pledges, more than $150,000 has been secured towards the RISE Memorial — which will be built at Knowles Heritage Park, not far from where the tragedy unfolded.

The newly-formed foundation leading the charge was banking on another $150,000 through a provincial capital grant to get construction started but on Thursday, the RISE Memorial Foundation learned that the application was denied.