Still assessing possible charges 5 years after Kelowna crane collapse

A crane collapsed in downtown Kelowna and killed five people on July 12, 2021

Still assessing possible charges 5 years after Kelowna crane collapse Published 6:36 am Sunday, July 12, 2026 Kelowna continues to mourn Cailen Vilness, Jared Zook, Patrick Stemmer, Eric Stemmer and Brad Zawislak five years after a workplace incident claimed their lives. Vilness, Zook, and the Stemmer brothers were working on a downtown construction site on July 12, 2021, when the crane on site collapsed onto the construction project and adjacent buildings, including the office building of Zawislak. All five men died as a result.

More than 20 properties on Bertram Street and St. Paul Street were evacuated due to safety concerns. The crane was finally dismantled a week later, on July 19, 2021, and evacuations were lifted. Each year since, the community has gathered in memory of the five men from Kelowna, and on April 28 the permanent Rise Memorial Gardens at Knowles Heritage Park.

Despite the RCMP recommending charges of criminal negligence causing death in B.C. Prosecution Services in February 2024, the charge assessment has not yet been completed. The incident also sparked lawsuits. Stemmer Construction, the company responsible for the operation and set up of the crane, sued the manufacturer of the crane, Liebherr, on July 11, 2023, alleging negligence.

Two days later, on July 13, 2023, Zawislak’s wife Helen Margaret Furuya, filed a suit against Stemmer Construction and the real estate development group behind the project, Mission Group Enterprises, also claiming negligence. Both companies have responded claiming no wrongdoing. Stemmer Construction was also sued by one of Zawislak’s co-workers, Zawislak’s employer, and a group of businesses and homeowners impacted by the collapse.

The joint suit also names Mission Group Enterprises, claiming “the collapse was caused by the actions, errors and omissions of the defendants.” Zawislak’s employer, Grant Maddock, filed a notice of discontinuance in June 2024. The co-worker, Shelby Austin Miller, has not received a response to the allegations from any of the defendants named.

None of the allegations listed in the lawsuits has been proven in court.