About a hundred people gathered on Wednesday evening to honor the 22-year-old employee who died following an accident at the Montreal Big Wheel on December 25.
“Riley’s friends, I love you all,” Riley Valcin’s father, Gamaniel Valcin, said over the microphone, in a trembling voice. He was originally from Montreal-North and studied at Polytechnique Montreal.
On December 25, while Riley Valcin was doing maintenance work, one of his clothes got caught in a gear of the attraction, said a source familiar with the matter. The operator in charge would not have been aware that the employee was busy de-icing the wheels of the arena. People were on board, according to witnesses.
Wednesday evening, family, friends and passers-by gathered at the Old Port of Montreal around the portrait of Riley Valcin. A woman leaned on a tree crying.
” That really shocked me “
Bekim Borova was Riley Valcin’s neighbor in Montreal-North for almost 10 years. “It’s just sad, it shocked me,” he said. Even if you do the right things, you can lose your life easily. “
Darcy Edmond was a “very close” friend of the young man. “You don’t wake up one morning and think a friend of yours is going to die,” he said.
Mr. Edmond said he felt a lot of frustration. La Grande Roue de Montréal “did not give an explanation when it happened”. “He should not be in this situation,” he added.
The vigil at the candle held Wednesday “was necessary to underline” the life of Riley Valcin, indicated in the evening the spokesperson delegate of La Grande Roue, Mathieu Filion. “We continue to collaborate with the CNESST for the next steps,” he said. We are awaiting his report and will follow his recommendations to ensure that such an event does not happen again. “
With the collaboration of Mayssa Ferah, Press