WESTLOCK — One person died and dozens were injured after a tent structure collapsed at the Westlock Meditation Centre (Tu Vien Tay Thien) near Busby on July 31.
Dozens of emergency vehicles and personnel from surrounding areas, including those from Westlock, Busby and Pickardville responded after Westlock RCMP received a call around 5:27 p.m. about the incident, following a bad storm.
“There were many, many people injured,” said RCMP Public Information Officer, Cpl. Troy Savinkoff, noting several people received various injuries.
“Many with just minor bruises, more than 50 had minor injuries, but there were several that received serious injuries,” he added, noting the number of injured are not yet confirmed.
Savinkoff said those who had injuries were “all in stable condition” and verified the number of emergency vehicles on site.
“Between 20 and 25 RCMP officers attended. We also know that at least nine ambulances attended and the ambulances were able to transport 40 people (to hospital),” said Savinkoff.
There were six people taken from the scene with more serious injuries, six with less-serious injuries and around 50 with minor injuries, Savinkoff said.
People were taken to area hospitals by EMS and some in personal vehicles.
Westlock RCMP received a report of the structure collapse around 5:27 p.m. and said it was caused by severe weather, but the tent collapse is under investigation.
Witnesses said there were about 200 people in the tent structure at the time of the collapse and Savinkoff, noted that investigators were on site and numbers are expected to be confirmed once they are “further into this investigation.”
“There was a pretty severe weather event that came in with a lot of wind. It seems pretty clear that that had a large contributing factor to the collapse. Any more than that will be determined throughout the investigation, what could have caused any potential failures to the tent itself.”
Attendees were at the Westlock Meditation Centre to attend the 11-day meditation event that many people were expected to attend over the next week.
“There was just over 700 people that were registered to attend (on July 31) but they had more than 400 people signed in,” he said, noting the lengthy anticipated investigation ahead.
“I know that it’s quite a detailed investigation because we’re talking about hundreds of people potentially that would need to be interviewed,” explained Savinkoff, adding that investigators length of stay on site will depend of several factors.
“They’re trying to bring in some specialists that could interpret the logistics there that are going to support our investigations.”
Alberta Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, Mike Ellis tweeted the night of the incident, stating they were aware of the unfolding event at the Westlock Meditation Center July 31, and followed up the next day with a tweet Aug. 1, stating “Alberta’s government expresses its deepest condolences to loved ones of the deceased and is here to support our first responders and the community during this difficult time,” said Ellis.
Visitors and nearby residents described the Weslock Meditation Center as a popular venue that draws thousands of people every year, especially during the summer for an annual multi-day meditation event.
Travis Law from Edmonton was at the site the afternoon of July 31, shortly after the tent collapsed and was there to drop off his sister, who was planning to attend the 11-day meditation event starting Aug. 1. It’s an event that she has been to for the past several years.
He said he was saddened to learn of the events and pointed out they were expected to arrive earlier that afternoon but were delayed and then further delayed by the storm.
“That could have been my sister in the tent,” said Law.
A nearby resident, who wished to remain anonymous said the mediation event held every summer is one of the largest gatherings held there, with people coming from around the globe.
“People from across the world come for this event. It’s (always) this coming weekend in August — there are busloads and busloads of people that always come,” she said, adding it’s probably the centre’s biggest event of the year. “People come from the states and across Canada. They (also) hold youth camps that run there in the summertime.”
