Gabriola Island is reeling from the loss of two men known for their service to the community.

Chris Straw and Marc Dor茅 have been identified as the men who died Tuesday when the boom of a concrete pump truck broke while pouring the foundation for a home.

Both men died at the scene despite the efforts of the Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department and B.C. Ambulance Service to save the men香蕉视频直播檚 lives.

Carol Fergusson, Gabriola Arts Council executive director, said she knew Dor茅 as a gentle man, well-respected in the community and as a builder of fine homes on the island.

香蕉视频直播淗e and his wife Huguette were very well-respected builders. They made beautiful, beautiful homes,香蕉视频直播� Fergusson said.

Fergusson said Dor茅 had a quick wit and a great laugh.

Chris Straw, Fergusson said, was heavily involved with the arts council and took part in the renovation and construction of the arts council香蕉视频直播檚 buildings.

香蕉视频直播淗is pickup truck was used a lot to do things for the arts council 香蕉视频直播� he香蕉视频直播檚 also the best emcee the island香蕉视频直播檚 ever seen. He was just great with a crowd 香蕉视频直播� a very dry sense of humour and a quick wit,香蕉视频直播� Fergusson said. 香蕉视频直播淗e was a teaser. He liked to tease everyone. I was looking forward to getting to know him better to find out what the teasing really meant.香蕉视频直播�

Straw, she said, was a dedicated husband and a wonderful father who was 香蕉视频直播渆specially smitten香蕉视频直播� with his grandson Luca, whom Straw and his wife Margy Gilmour were home-schooling during the pandemic while the boy香蕉视频直播檚 parents worked.

Both men and their families are well-known in the community of about 4,500 through their volunteer work.

香蕉视频直播淭hey knew so many people because they had been here for quite some time and they just were involved in so many different aspects of the community,香蕉视频直播� Fergusson said. 香蕉视频直播淐hris didn香蕉视频直播檛 just volunteer for the Gabriola Arts Council, he volunteered all over the place and would be the first one to help anyone and the same with Marc, so the ripple effect throughout the community has been absolutely astounding.香蕉视频直播�

Straw and Dor茅 were retired CBC employees.

Sheila Malcolmson, Nanaimo MLA and Gabriola Island resident, worked with Straw on the freighter anchorages issue.

香蕉视频直播淗e香蕉视频直播檚 really part of my island family, particularly on the anchorages issue, and we did a lot of work together when I was MP,香蕉视频直播� Malcolmson said. 香蕉视频直播淲e got him out to Ottawa to testify to the transportation committee. We did a lot of stuff together for a lot of years and it continued and I thought it would carry on a whole lot longer. It香蕉视频直播檚 a real shock.香蕉视频直播�

Malcolmson said Dor茅 and his wife loved their home-building work, which was much different from their careers prior to retiring to the island.

香蕉视频直播淭hey were going to build the dream home for Chris Straw and Margy Gilmour,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Straw was a full-time artist, but Malcolmson knew him as a man who crafted a constructive voice from the anger and frustration felt by Gulf Islands residents over the freighter anchorage issue.

香蕉视频直播淐hris Straw was extremely skillful at being able to bring all those voices together, channel them into a government process that was solution-oriented, was something that moved the issue forward and knit together people in communities that had never worked together before 香蕉视频直播� he brought forward a lot of diplomacy and strategic thinking that really made a difference,香蕉视频直播� Malcolmson said.

She said Straw emceed both happy and sad occasions on Gabriola Island.

香蕉视频直播淥ften when there香蕉视频直播檇 be a loss in the community, Chris would be the one who be the master of ceremonies or be the one who gave the eulogy 香蕉视频直播� he was just the kind of guy who stepped up in times of need,香蕉视频直播� Malcolmson said. 香蕉视频直播淲e are going to have to do that without him this time.香蕉视频直播�

Faron Parlee, manager for Bedrock Redi-Mix, the company delivering and pouring the concrete on the site Tuesday, expressed the company香蕉视频直播檚 sentiments in an e-mailed statement Thursday.

香蕉视频直播淲e are in shock and are extremely concerned about the impact to these individuals香蕉视频直播� families and friends,香蕉视频直播� the statement noted. 香蕉视频直播淏edrock Redi-Mix is fully co-operating with the site management and all provincial safety authorities.香蕉视频直播�

An investigation into the incident by WorkSafe B.C. and the B.C. Coroners Service is continuing.

photos@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on and follow us on