Crane collapse downtown

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

I wonder how Stemmer Construction and the Mission Group are feeling after the news report regarding videos showing complete lack of safety protocols while they worked on this particular jobsite.

To be honest.. I dont think they spent a lot of their time .., at the highest point of the building observing the crane personel, which is one guy up top , most of the time... And to be honest, I dont think they want anyone around it even nearby , while the crane is being dusmantked.. .....
They probably had their focus on their crew , more than the subtrades...

[MAPearce]

Now the whole stemmercrane instagram page is gone.

Can you blame them ???

With this kangaroo court going on , I wouldn't even have one ...

[nucksRnum1]

Now the whole stemmercrane instagram page is gone.

Can you blame them ???

With this kangaroo court going on , I wouldn't even have one ...

Yes. We can absolutely blame the indiscretions. In regards to the investigation by Worksafe it is black and white. It makes sense there is emotions involved and feeling sorry for those in the incident that didn't do things properly. I would think that dad would have preferred doing things by the book so his boy was still alive. But alas - that didn't happen. And mentioning isn't insensitive or malicious. Its cause and effect - that's it.

[normaM]

I was blamed as being an armchair critic.. now ppl dragging the death thro the Mud
This place is seriously starting to suck

[MAPearce]

Yes. We can absolutely blame the indiscretions. In regards to the investigation by Worksafe it is black and white. It makes sense there is emotions involved and feeling sorry for those in the incident that didn't do things properly. I would think that dad would have preferred doing things by the book so his boy was still alive. But alas - that didn't happen. And mentioning isn't insensitive or malicious. Its cause and effect - that's it

Please .. Do elaborate about the WorkSafe investigation ..

I understand that it isn't finished yet ...

[stuphoto]

Now the whole stemmercrane instagram page is gone.

Can you blame them ???

With this kangaroo court going on , I wouldn't even have one ...

It may not be visible to us but I can practically guarantee that Worksafe BC have it saved.

[nucksRnum1]

This will also have a huge impact on Stemmers ability to bid on tendered jobs. Possibly mission group as well. Safety records are part of the biidding processes.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

So.. is this going to affect you, me , or 95 percent of the others.. on this forum.?
Let them finish the investigation.. .... myself I trust they will do the job... and I would bet they wont come on here for advice..,
It will all get sorted out.. :..

[vegas1500]

Removed

[TylerM4]

This will also have a huge impact on Stemmers ability to bid on tendered jobs. Possibly mission group as well. Safety records are part of the biidding processes.

Would not surprise me if they never put forth another bid. Family business with just the father surviving, their biggest asset lost, fines/legal woes, etc. I think the father will retire, never replace the crane, and that'll be the end of it.

[Bsuds]

I think the father will retire, never replace the crane, and that'll be the end of it.

That's a definite possibility and no one would fault him for retiring after losing 2 sons in this tragedy.

[stuphoto]

It was a relatively new company.
My guess is the father started it and built it up mainly to pass along to his children.

[crookedmember]

So.. is this going to affect you, me , or 95 percent of the others.. on this forum.?
Let them finish the investigation.. .... myself I trust they will do the job... and I would bet they wont come on here for advice..,
It will all get sorted out.. :..

Investigations and reports can take a couple years. This is a place for laymen to discuss current events.

While they may not come here for advice, investigators and lawyers involved in the collapse certainly monitor this and other forums (such as reddit where workers are dropping tidbits).

The collapse of the crane is fairly big, albeit tragic, news, and people are going to put their two cents in.

[Even Steven]

investigators and lawyers involved in the collapse certainly monitor this and other forums (such as reddit where workers are dropping tidbits).

This is where they find all the expert opinions and working theories lol.

[just_browsing]

I'll stand tall on this one and shut you down. That's absolutely not how it works my friend.

Kelowna is relying on the rest of the world/country for absolutely everything. To people like yourself who rely on others to do all your dirty work, this seems normal and OK.

To anyone that has spent a career in any type of labor or emergency services knows the real story. It is extending so far now that we can't even rescue our own citizens due to the technical nature of how the city is building and the lack of personnel.

I suppose when one of these buildings collapses, we will call in the crew from Miami who are already trained.

I suppose when one catches fire, we will call on the other communities to help.

If you pay attention to the news, West Kelowna can't build highrises because of the cost of equipment and training for their firefighters.

Yet our city managers, and many many other white shirts are telling us that we will call on the Westside Fire Department, who is untrained in high rise firefighting (as per Chief Brolund) to help??

We are calling on the rest of the world to help us when we can't even tie our own shoes.

At what point are the speculators and capitalists going to wake up and realize that there is a life outside of money...there is a life outside of growth.

I'm not saying this would change ANYTHING on the outcome of this event but I'll leave you with this.

Is it fair that we are all paying the same, if not more, insurance rates as other cities who have all the protections in place and has trained staff ready to respond?

I don't feel it is, but money aside, I only care that the people that go to work to serve an employer and come home alive. I only care about the safety of the people in this city. I don't care if someone doesn't make enough to take their family on a nice vacation.

However, after much reading on these forums over the years, it's clear that I stand differently than many on this forum. So many keep pushing people like myself aside for the excuse of "the future" or "growth".

An elderly lady stood at the sidewalk on St. Paul the day after the accident. She looked devastated, as all of us are. But the words she spoke rung so true.

"Are they done yet? Why are we building these when no one here wants them? Now at the expense of lives lost."

I know it could happen anywhere and on any job site in the world. However, I feel it's time to take a check at yourselves and ask yourself if this is what you really want.

Do you really want highrises? If so, ask yourself for what. For what reason are we doing this to Kelowna. Is it only for looks? Are we sacrificing lives for looks?

I can tell you one thing..it's definitely not bringing families here and it's definitely not providing affordable living.

Again, my condolences to all those involved. Nothing is more tragic than this...nothing.

Just wait till the sinkholes start appearing amidst this cluster of erections being built by competing rich kids, who are constantly twisting the arms of city council, to build ever higher. This hi-rise building idiocy will become especially problematic if the lake levels drop in our new climate paradigm.

These concrete behemoths are being built here on pile cap foundations, on what is essentially sandy, glacial till swampland, similar to how most of Florida's swampy urban centers were built up.

I wouldn't be surprised now, if a foundation shift beneath the crane slab, was found to be a contributing factor to this tragic collapse.

We're only one moderate earthquake away from seeing these buildings bend flaccidly over each other due to liquefaction.

I can only imagine what the insurance rates will be in the future. Who will be held responsible then??

Anyone here remember what happened when Kelowna's first leaning hi-rise, the Kiwanis Tower, was built? The engineers then, also thought they knew what they were doing.

Today you can't find any information on that engineering problem, due to the information being buried by those with "$kin" in the developer game, and who are painting these new projects in all shades of $un$hine and $mile$...

My prediction is, that at some point no external specialized Urban Rescue Team will be able to save the day for us.

Not all development equates to progress...

This is the best post I've ever read on here. Also the most educated and rational.

All the rich spoiled kids, Capitalists, have zero, and I mean zero clue on how things operate on a municipal level.

So when they start building these highrises, did they happen to mention to any of the crews that the nearest rescue crew for this type of ongoing construction is a day away?

Did they mention to all the businesses underneath that there was extreme death hazards dangling right above them?

This particular tower has already cracked numerous existing buildings next door, shattered glass and other objects while they were putting in the piles. Not once did they mention this would happen during the construction phase. Even if they did mention it, they will just roll their eyes and ignore you because some feel this is necessary for the development of Kelowna.

So, all you experts that have been employed for a career with the city of Kelowna, me being one, tell me why they had to change technologies to put the new piles in the ground for the new tower. I can guarantee you it wasn't because they were concerned with the noise factor. The ground is different here. So different that they had to change technologies from the norm because the old technology is somehow damaging buildings. Off topic I know, but I have so many of these things I can share.

Unfortunately if you look on these forums and see much of the regular posters, you will quickly learn they are likely working for these rich spoiled capitalist children.

Have I ever mentioned that Kelowna only has 23 firefighters on duty in the entire city?! The NFPA, which is respected in absolutely everything to do with safety, recommends 100 trained firefighters to deal with a high-rise. To accomodate the smaller growing municipalities, they drew a line in the sand and said the absolute minimum is 43 within 600 seconds.

Why is it that this particular NFPA code is ignored and shut down by anyone pro towers? Did Kelowna find something that no one else in the world has ever figured out?

All you people should be ashamed for assuming we have to provide housing for everyone that wants to move here. I say get out...we don't want anymore people. We can't afford it and we can't guarantee your safety. Period.

This building is a curse and I hope no one buys into it and it becomes a memorial for these poor workers and families.