Crowds gathered in Vancouver on Tuesday for a sombre ceremony to remember the lives lost in one of the worst workplace incidents in B.C.’s history.
Dozens of people and dignitaries, including Premier David Eby, were in attendance at the Bentall Memorial, reflecting on the catastrophic incident.
On Jan. 7, 1981, Gunther Couvreux, Brian Stevenson, Donald Davis and Yrjo Mitrunen plunged 36 floors to their deaths when the flyform at the Bentall IV Tower collapsed.
“This tragedy here at this worksite became more than about the men who died that day. It became about our shared commitment and the work we have to do together as a province to make sure everybody is looked after,” Eby said.
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More than 40 years later, the construction sector says the catastrophic incident illustrates the need for strict safety measures.
In 2023 alone, 39 construction workers died in connection with workplace incidents.
Crane safety has also been a concern for the industry, with high-profile fatal incidents in Vancouver and Kelowna in recent years.
According to WorkSafeBC, there were 22 incidents involving cranes reported between 2019 and 2023.
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