The daughter of a woman who died in the Canterbury Television building collapse says families are still waiting for justice 14 years later. This morning, she held a dawn vigil at 6.30 am on the site of the former CTV building, now a memorial garden, as a peaceful protest.

Julie Abraham lost her mother, Heather Marilyn Meadows, when the six-storey CTV building collapsed in the February 22, 2011, earthquake.

Abraham has been an active participant in the CTV Families Group, advocating for justice and accountability on behalf of the victims for 14 years. She believes that true healing and closure cannot occur until those responsible are held accountable.

Last year, she organised a candlelight vigil alongside Srecko Cvetanov, whose wife, Dr. Tamara Cvetanov, was among the 115 victims. Friends, family, and strangers lit a candle for each life lost.

Abraham said this morning’s dawn vigil, though low-key, will serve as a powerful reminder that justice and accountability remain elusive for a tragedy that should never have happened.

Meadows, a former army nurse originally from Bath, England, was known for her warm personality.

“She had a cheeky smile and could talk the pants off you, even at a bus stop. She loved second-hand shopping and finding bargains,” Abraham said.

Meadows, 66, had been in the CTV building for a doctor’s appointment when the earthquake struck.

“She wanted to get there early to make sure she was seen[by the doctor],” Abraham said. “And she did get seen. She just couldn’t get out.”

Abraham, said although fourteen years may have passed, the wounds from the CTV building collapse still ache in her heart. This morning she stood on the former CTV site to remember and honour her mother and the 114 precious lives that were tragically lost, a loss that time has not diminished but rather intensified.

It is a sombre duty to acknowledge that, despite the passage of these 14 years, justice and accountability for those innocent souls remain elusive. The CTV building collapse was not just a tragedy; it was an avoidable catastrophe, a stark reminder of the consequences when responsibilities are neglected.

Abraham said, she wanted the vigil to also serve as a poignant reminder of the 70 other people who perished in various locations across the city, and to recognise that the 185 victims came from more than 20 countries. Furthermore, she would like to acknowledge the nearly 7000 people treated for injuries and the 220 treated for major trauma.

Supporting Dawn Vigil

Leo Liu, an accomplished musician, performed, for a second time, a violin lament specifically written for last year’s CTV Candlelight Vigil.

Upon hearing about the significance of the CTV Candlelight Vigil, Leo was deeply moved and felt compelled to contribute. Recognising the solemnity of the occasion, he promptly volunteered to compose a brief solo violin lament in remembrance of the foreign students who lost their lives in the CTV building tragedy.

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