Construction could start this spring on a memorial site for victims of a crane collapse in Kelowna, B.C., three years ago.
On Thursday, organizers said they are nearing their financial goal, with $191,00 of $200,000 having been raised so far.
The Rise Memorial Foundation says it is entering the tendering and administration phase of the project, and that they are targeting late May for construction to commence.
The memorial would be constructed at Knowles Heritage Park, located along Ethel Street between Bernard and Lawrence avenues.
It’s also roughly two blocks from where the construction crane collapsed in the downtown core on July 21, 2021, killing five people.
The foundation was recently incorporated as a non-profit society that will oversee the memorial site. The society is open to the public.
A website for the memorial will be launched in June.
The society also said that three other crane accidents have occurred in B.C. since 2021.
“The foundation has unanimously agreed that our space will be designed to incorporate the memories and honour all victims of workplace accidents,” it said.
“These deaths are not only tragic, but preventable, and we renew the call for regulatory change in the industry.”