A memorial garden to remember the five men who died in a crane collapsed at a construction site in downtown Kelowna in July 2021, will be unveiled on the fourth anniversary of the incident.
The Rise Memorial Garden at Knowles Heritage Park will be revealed to the public at 10 a.m. on July 12.
"This memorial stands to ensure their memories live on, but also offers the community a future space for grieving and healing from the impacts of any workplace accident that may ever occur in the future," said Rise Memorial Foundation Director Kelly Hutchinson in a press release. "Lastly, it will serve as a stark reminder to all of us of the importance of making a continued commitment to workplace safety each and every day."
The garden is in memory of Cailen Vilness, Jared Zook, Eric Stemmer, and Patrick Stemmer who had been working at the construction site, and for Brad Zawislak who was killed after the crane fell into his office building.
The unveiling will include speeches from Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas and B.C. Minister of Labour Jennifer Whiteside. A moment of silence will be held at 10:55 a.m. with a ribbon cutting to take place at 11:20 a.m.
Everyone is invited to attend. Seating and water will be available.
