The tower cranes hovering over B.C. cities
have loomed even larger since one toppled in
Kelowna last summer, killing five workers.
We take you for a ride on one of these giants–
and ask what government and business are
doing to prevent a similar tragedy
s t o r y b y
R I C H A R D L I T T L E M O R E
p o
r t r a i t b y
A D A M B L A S B E R G
38 BCBUSINESS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021
BOOM
WITH
A
VIEW
We are standing in the mast of a tower crane,
about 55 metres up, and the day is glorious—bathed in
warm, late-summer sun with nary a breath of wind. I'm
sure that if I had the courage to look, the view is also spec-
tacular, but right now, I am concentrating on the task at
hand, climbing the full 80 metres—the height of a 20-storey
building—to the top of this beast.
