Bentall Centre

The Bentall Centre is the collective name for five office towers, plus the basement mall, located in Downtown Vancouver's financial district. The shopping mall under the complex includes a food court, post office and an office supply store, Grand & Toy. The mall has a direct connection with the SkyTrain's Burrard Station.

On January 7, 1981 four carpenters fell 36 floors to the deaths while working on the Bentall Tower Four that was under construction, near Melville and Thurlow Street; in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The news of this horrific accident shocked people across Canada and around the world.

• Guenter Otto Couvreux, 49

• Donald Wayne Davis, 34

• Yrjo Mitrunen, 46

• Brian John Stevenson, 21

Carpenters; Guenter Otto Couvreux, 49; Donald Wayne Davis, 34; Yrjo Mitrunen, 46 and Brian John Stevenson, 21 were preparing a platform known as a ‘fly form’ for the last concrete pour on the roof of the 36 storey building.
Without warning the fly form; known as ‘fly form E’, fell over the edge and carried the four men to their deaths.
On February 23, 1981 the Coroner’s Inquest was held in Vancouver. It would be referred to as a marathon inquest as it went into the eighth day as 30 witnesses were called upon to testify.
Anthes Equipment Ltd was the company that designed and supplied the fly forms to the contractor building the Bentall tower.
Anthes Equipment Ltd of Toronto was not registered to be working in B. C. at the time of the accident; leaving them liable to civil action.
One of the widows; Carol Davis, went it alone and filed a writ on February 19, 1982, in Supreme Court in an unprecedented action against Anthes Equipment Ltd.
The other families elected to allow the Workers Compensation Board to sue on their behalf.
On February 23, 1984; the fourth day into the trial, Carol Davis accepted an out-of-court settlement from Anthes Equipment Ltd.
On January 7 of each year, memorials are held at Discovery Park (at the Skytrain Burrard Station) directly across the street from the plaza of the Bentall IV Tower.