People in Abbotsford came together last night to remember three farm workers killed in a crash nine years ago.
A candlelight vigil was held at the Golden Tree, a monument dedicated to the victims. The sculpture, a seven-metre-high replica of an apple tree, is the first monument in Canada that recognizes the contributions of farm workers to society.
Three women, Amarjit Kaur Bal, 52, Sukhvinder Kaur Punia, 41, and Sarbjit Kaur Sidhu, 31, lost their lives and 14 others were injured in 2007 when the overloaded passenger van they were heading to work in flipped on Highway 1.
The driver pleaded guilty to driving without reasonable consideration for others on the highway and driving without a proper license.
A coroner’s jury made 18 recommendations to improve safety, which included more random inspections of vehicles used to transport farm workers.
Aaron Ekman with the BC Federation of Labour told Global News while some progress has been made since the inquest, there is still a number of recommendations that have not been implemented.
“From our perspective, they haven’t been implemented to the greatest capacity,” says Ekman.
WATCH: A permanent memorial unveiled for farm workers killed in 2007 crash
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