La Grande Roue De Montréal Responded To The Death Of An Employee After A Work Accident

The management team for the Old Port's Grande Roue de Montréal took to social media Monday to share team members' condolences for the death of an employee on Christmas Day. The team identified the employee as Riley Jonathan Valcin and called the circumstances of his death a tragic accident.

"We are heartbroken," the social media post reads.

"Our first thoughts go out to Riley, his family, friends and his Grande Roue team who will all miss him greatly."

The management team said Valcin was one of the site's "most senior and respected employees," calling him a "friendly, positive, and helpful person," and a "wonderful colleague."

"Our priority right now," the management team concluded, "is to support the family, friends, and the team in their grieving process."

On Facebook, the company called for respect in the comments section and asked readers to join in expressions of grief and remembrance.

The Grande Roue has been closed since Valcin was injured. It has not released details of the incident, saying in a Saturday press release that it would not comment on the situation pending a police investigation.

On Sunday, the Montreal police told MTL Blog that the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) was handling official communications regarding the incident at the ferris wheel.

MTL Blog has reached out to the CNESST for more information. We'll update this article when we get a response.

The Grande Roue said it will post an update when the ride reopens.