Brother of Kelowna crane collapse victim petitions for safety

People gathered in Kelowna at Knowles Heritage Park on Friday for the three-year anniversary of a fatal crane collapse.

On July 12, 2021, a crane helping construct a residential tower on St Paul’s Street collapsed, killing four construction workers and another man working in an adjacent building.

One of those killed was Cailen Vilness, who was 23 when he died.

“It’s been three years and, to my knowledge, there hasn’t really been much in terms of regulations that have been mandated since,” Layne Vilness, Cailin’s brother, told Global News.

“There have been multiple incidents throughout the Lower Mainland that have continued to happen.”

2:18 Concert to help fund memorial for crane collapse victims

To curb that, Layne Vilness says he’s working a petition to make crane operations safer.

“We’re aiming for more stringent training,” Vilness said during a Zoom call from his home in Kitimat. As an ironworker, there’s a list of compulsory trades in B.C. that if you’re not a registered apprentice or ticketed journeyman, you can’t do that job.

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“You have to be in the system as someone that is further educating themselves on how to do their job properly.”

The main objectives of the petition include:

• Ensuring each tower crane company has their own manufacturer training
• Retirement of cranes that are 30 years of age or older
• Increased frequency of equipment quality checks

The petition is expected to start circulating next week.

Layne Vilness hopes his petition sparks a fire in getting his recommendations implemented in the tower crane industry across the province.

He said crane construction can be dangerous work, especially at higher elevations. If there’s miscommunication between coworkers, “it’s a finger or a friend, and you don’t get to pick which one it is, unfortunately.”

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Since the accident, rules and regulations have been put in place to make work sites safer, and more regulations in the works.

“The conversations are ongoing,” said Clinton Connell, executive director of B.C. Crane Safety.

“There are a number of discussions that are still happening with respect to things like supervision, training, training availability and the enforcement of the certification types.”

On Friday, the City of Kelowna and the Mission Group announced $150,000 in funding to help complete the memorial.

Several lawsuits have been launched in the accident’s wake, with police recommending charges of negligence causing death.

The crane was being used to construct a tower by Mission Group.

Kelowna mayor Tom Dyas said the memorial will provide “an area for families to come and remember.”

Layne Vilness concurred, saying, “When my family and I do go to Kelowna, we don’t have to go and stare at the building where my brother took his last breath.”