Construction is set to begin in February on the Rise Memorial, a tribute to five men, including Kitimat’s Cailen Vilness, who died in a crane collapse in downtown Kelowna on July 12, 2021.
The project, spearheaded by the Rise Memorial Foundation, has faced funding challenges after a provincial grant of $150,000 was denied. Kelly Hutchinson, the foundation's director, said the province cited a lack of historical programming as one reason. “We’re a new society, so there’s some truth to that, but we did quite a few events.”
Hutchinson also disputed another claim by the province regarding insufficient matching funds. “That’s actually not true. I provided a pretty robust accounting of what we’re doing. We have the money ready to go, so that part didn’t make sense to us.”
The community raised funds for the construction of the project, while the City of Kelowna and Mission Group committed additional contingency funding. Hutchinson said they have raised around $300,000 themselves.
The project is estimated at close to $1 million, but a contractor agreed to complete construction at a fraction of the total cost.
Cailen Vilness, a member of the crane crew, had just returned from visiting Kitimat when the collapse occurred. His father, Chris Vilness, who also serves as the foundation’s president, expressed disappointment over the funding denial.
He emphasized that the memorial is more than a tribute to the five men who died, which also included Zook, the Stemmer brothers, and Zawislak. “It’s really a recognition of safe work environments, safe culture. It’s a lot more than just a park,” he said.
The tragedy occurred on the morning of July 12, 2021, when the crane, operated by Stemmer Construction for a Mission Group Enterprises project, collapsed. Four workers on the crane—Eric Stemmer, Patrick Stemmer, Jared Zook, and Vilness—were killed instantly. Brad Zawislak, who was in a nearby building, also died when the crane crashed into his office.
In February last year, more than two and a half years after the crane collapse, the RCMP submitted a report to the BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) recommending a charge of criminal negligence causing death. It remains unclear whether the recommendation applies to an individual or an organization. An individual convicted of this charge could face life in prison, while an organization could be fined at the court’s discretion.
Three companies—Stemmer Construction, Mission Group Enterprises, and Liebherr—have faced multiple lawsuits following the incident. Stemmer Construction has also filed a lawsuit against Liebherr and unnamed individuals, alleging negligence and a "dangerous defect" in the crane.
Construction on the memorial at Knowles Heritage Park is expected to begin in the first week of February.
- With files from Quinn Bender
