As the smoke was clearing police were only certain of a few things: that there had been two separate explosions with two resulting fires ... and two dead bodies had been found in adjacent suites of a seniors complex.
It would take nearly two months before investigators declared one of the deaths a homicide and the other a suicide.
At about 12:30 a.m. August 2nd, 2011, 911 calls came in reporting a blaze involving a car and the north-facing rear side of the six-storey 63-unit Bethany Senior Citizens Home at 9920 83 Avenue.
A Plymouth Acclaim was on fire in the complex's parking lot and so were a pair of third-floor suites immediately above it.
And there were signs of explosion.
Pieces of glass had showered the area all the way into the back yards of homes across the alley. Clothing and building debris hung in the trees.
After firefighters had doused the flames they discovered two dead bodies in adjoining suites.
One of the first detectives on the scene told media they were investigating one of the deaths as a homicide. Within hours, police retracted the statement – instead terming the deaths as suspicious.
Nevertheless, homicide detectives were in charge of the investigation, aided by the arson unit.
59 people were displaced by the event. Many seniors, some rescued by firefighters – others who got out on their own, were forced onto the street dressed only in night clothes.
Ten people were taken to hospital, including two firefighters.
The explosions woke neighbours and attracted dozens from nearby Whyte Avenue.
The story of all those touched by the event filled newspapers and television broadcasts for days and carried an underlying current: could anything have been done to prevent the tragedy?
"It was a little bit chaotic at the beginning. We got a lot of elderly people we had to move out," deputy fire Chief John Lamb said.
"We needed to rescue a lot of people."
The first fire crews on scene immediately called a second alarm and began an evacuation. Officials called a third alarm at 1:12 a.m. as the fire continued to spread.
Edmonton Fire Rescue "alarm" protocols dictate an initial response of six four-firefighter crews, building to 12 crews in a two alarm response, and 16 in a three alarm response.
Eventually about 75 firefighters along with 16 pieces of equipment were on hand to battle the blaze and effect rescue – see images »
The fire was under control by 2:10 a.m.
"It wasn't so much the firefighting at that point – but it's getting people out through the smoke," Lamb said.
A number of residents had to be carried out by ladder.
A video posted to YouTube showed one firefighter diving into a suite to extract a tenant and another carrying them down.
"Our thoughts and prayers go to the folks that have been displaced," deputy fire chief John Lamb.
"There's folks that have been injured and the families that have been hurt here. The firefighters worked really hard and rescued a lot of folks."
Some with less serious concerns waited out events in a pair of transit buses. Others needed immediate medical attention and stretchers where shuttled to-and-fro. Most were left with just the clothes they were wearing – see images »
In all, ten people were taken to hospital, including two firefighters who suffered minor injuries. Seven seniors were admitted, including six suffering from smoke inhalation and one with chest pains.
Officials said the third floor was destroyed. The first and second floors received extensive water damage, and floors four through six had smoke damage.
Total damage to the building was estimated at $1.3 million.
With the immediate concern of dousing the blaze – and making sure all inside were accounted for and taken care of – out of the way, the focus shifted to the task of figuring out what had happened.
Previous fire inspections of the provincially-owned facility did not indicate any outstanding fire safety issues. City of Edmonton records indicate the building was constructed in 1975.
"I was watching television and all of a sudden I heard an explosion," tenant Klaus Zabiegay said.
"The car exploded and then another little explosion and then I seen the flames.
Word quickly emerged that two people had been found dead inside the building – a man and a woman – and one of the first detectives at the scene called the case a homicide.
"All I can say is we are treating this as a homicide investigation," Det. Dwayne Lakusta said.
"Everything is still in its preliminary stages."
However, at about the same time, a police spokesman downtown said otherwise.
"The incident is being treated as suspicious at this time," Dean Parthenis said.
At a media availability later in the day at the site, Det. Lakusta tried to make the official police position clear.
"Because of the suspicious circumstances of the explosion and the two bodies inside, homicide investigators have taken over the investigation," Lakusta said.
"In the preliminary stages we are treating it as a homicide investigation. The fire appears to have been caused by an explosion and we believe at this time the explosion was deliberately set."
Lakusta said police were not looking for suspects, but wouldn't say if they believe one of the victims had set the explosion.
"That's an angle that we're looking at, yes."
The detective was asked if a bomb was involved, set by a person described as mentally ill.
"We have the explosion, we have two bodies and that's all I can tell you right now," Lakusta, deflecting allegations made by tenants of the complex.
"It was quickly determined that the fire was suspicious in nature and appears to be deliberately set – it involved an explosion.
"The explosion was in the building, and there appears to be a fire.
"Whether it was first or second, we don't know at this time. But there was a fire also in a vehicle in a back parking lot. There is extensive damage inside the building at this time. A lot of the questions, I just can't answer, because we don't know because of the damage."
Reporters asked the same questions, albeit in different ways. Lakusta then recapped his statements.
"Fire was able to locate two bodies inside, deceased. Due to the suspicious nature of the fire, the explosion, and the bodies that were located, the homicide section is now the leader in this investigation."
Lakusta said police were still reviewing video surveillance and were getting assistance from the arson unit. The two fires were also being treated as separate incidents.
Police also said they weren't looking for suspects.
Had the matter then been deemed a homicide at the time, it would have been the 34th of the year. It would be nearly two months before police concluded their investigation.
While police were short on words, tenants, neighbours, bystanders and Good Samaritans had a lot to offer media – read more »
"It just all happened really fast – really fast," area resident Sharleen Sauve said.
"I just saw a lot of smoke. People were carrying some of the elder ladies out because they couldn't walk because they had smoke inhalation.
"I walked to the back, right. I just wanted to see if anyone needed any help, like escorting them.
"So I did walk a few of them over to the corner of the road and then I brought chairs out for them and gave socks out and shoes.
"One of the little ladies – I lifted her feet up to put slippers on and they were cut up and bleeding."
"Me and another guy who were out here and we went up to the doorway and just helped a few of them from doorway to the step because there was a lot of glass that was broken," Dave Churchill said.
"The people that I was helping out there initially just seemed kind of confused. They did really know what was going on. We didn't either."
"Glass breaking ... but all at once. Very loud and abrupt," neighbour Marie Lemmerick said, adding that car alarms went off.
"It was bonkers. I don't know what to think of it – just waiting to get a little bit more information and stuff."
A man who lived in an apartment across from the complex said he heard a loud scream moments after the explosion.
"There was an explosion from the car – I heard a horrible, horrible scream right after that," Matt Hewpaels said.
"A car was on fire, and then there was flames coming out of one window."
A woman who lived next to the complex also described the scene.
"It was around 12:30 when we heard this 'Boom,' " Kari Heise said. "We saw a car completely engulfed in flames behind the seniors building beside us.
"There's just a lot of confused people who heard the bang and came out and didn't know what it was. From what we understand nobody really saw it.
"It was confusing. We didn't know why this car was engulfed in flames because the two cars beside it seemed fine.
"You could see an Oilers jersey in the tree and a screen in the tree."
Heise was surprised at how the fire behaved.
"It was pretty intense. And then you would think that they got the flames out because you couldn't see anything – then all of a sudden there would be a whole bunch of flames again," Heise said.
From the Empress bar at 99th Street and Whyte Avenue, Edmonton Journal writer Fish Griwkowsky saw police and fire vehicles arriving at the scene.
He saw firefighters pulling people out of third-floor windows in the front of the building, while at the back flames like "a rolling ball of fire" were coming from another window on the same floor.
"It was really severe," Griwkowsky said.
Firefighters didn't have a water hose on the window. Instead they were trying to put out flames coming from a red Plymouth Acclaim.
"It was fairly chaotic," Griwkowsky said.
Back at the bar, staff pulled chairs outside for the seniors to sit on.
The buses sat there for more than an hour before the seniors were eventually taken to the Ramada Inn South at 5359 Calgary Trail. Police told Griwkowsky they needed to question people.
Retired oil worker Russ Peterson, 77, had only lived in the complex for a month when his world came crashing down – literally.
"There was a bang and the ceiling came down in my basement or whatever it was," he said, intending to refer to his bathroom.
After Peterson was woken by the first bang, he checked his window and saw the car on fire in the parking lot. Then came the second explosion. When a side door was blocked, he and a few other residents made it out through a back door.
Like many others, Peterson was anxious to get back into his suite.
"They just said there was an investigation going on and they'd let us know when we can back in or get some stuff," he said.
"I've got my teeth in there. That, and I've got money in there – more than in my pocket – and some clothes."
But residents later learned that it could be some time before they could return to the complex. Peterson had walked around until 5:00 a.m. before he made other living arrangements.
"I haven't slept since last night when the first bang went off," he said.
"Yah, I'm going to go stay with a friend of mine. I just went and got his keys this morning and I'm going to go bunk in with him," he said as he made his way.
Eugene Yuzda also recalled what first woke him up.
"Just heard a big boom. My reaction was it's the garbage trucks – out at 1:30 in the morning, come on?" he had asked himself.
"And I ran over to the window and saw the car in flames.
"So then I walked out and the guy next door says let's get down there. And I said hold it, I've got to get dressed up before I go down. I got dressed and went down the stairs and walked outside.
"I wasn't aware if it was a fire or an explosion or what ... so I wasn't really overly concerned.
In the light of day, Yuzda had other concerns.
"I've got to get my medication. I've got it lined up at the drugstore so that they can get replacements for a week," he said.
Luckily, Yuzda had family close by he could stay with.
The strength of relationships built through routine became evident when a resident was overcome at the sight of a familiar mail carrier.
The man was heard to say that he had no money.
For others, news of the explosion meant a search for relatives.
Stan Matys arrived at the scene concerned for his 65-year-old brother Henryk.
"Somebody die and, you know, you worry – what's going on over here," he said.
Matys was shocked when a reporter brought him up to date on the death count.
"Two people! God!" he said.
The man was later relieved to learn that Henryk was safe.
Those without a place to stay gathered at the Ramada Inn South.
"Two explosions actually," Klaus Zabiegay later recalled. "Then all of a sudden I see big flames coming out from one car.
He too had all of his possession out of reach.
"Left my wallet and everything in there, my credit cards," Zebiegay said.
"I tried to take the exit to access the stairs – that was impossible," another man shared.
"Maybe half a minute after that the windows came blowing out of the north end of the building," Ron Williams re-counted.
"It was a bomb, I believe."
Police had earlier offered no comment on the bomb theory but Williams had good reason to make the statement: he knew that one of the tenants of the seniors complex was a suicidal former military demolition expert.
Williams also recalled the rescue effort.
"We were hauling them down the stairs – theres 95-year-old residents and that. You could go as hard and as fast as you could until the smoke overtook you – sheer shock."
Like others, Matthew Renn saw the car on fire just before all hell broke loose.
"The one wall inside was just opened like a door, my furniture is upside down, my bed was [moved] two feet," he said.
"I fell down. I smashed my big finger."
Firefighters had to rescue Renn from his window. The hallway was too hot, he said.
Another rescued by firefighters through a window was 81-year-old Jane Sanderson.
The partially-blind woman was in bed in her third-floor apartment when she heard a loud "kaboom" down the hall.
When the fire alarms went off she knew it was time to leave. Smoke then began to billow into her suite but there was no way out.
Sanderson grabbed her purse and was headed towards the hallway when she soon faced a wall of flames. She then figured her only chance to survive was to find a window and call out for help.
"I just thought about getting out," she said. "I kept yelling out the window, 'I'm here!' "
But amid the noise of sirens and running engines, Sanderson's calls went unheard.
She grabbed a washcloth, soaked it in water, and held it to her mouth.
Sanderson soon saw a pair of firefighters crawling up a ladder towards her. One threw her purse and phone to the ground and lifted her through the window. Then the other carried her down the ladder.
The 81-year-old spent the night at the Royal Alexandra Hospital where she was treated for carbon monoxide poisoning.
"We're staying here for the next three days at least," Klaus Zabiegay said, now calling the Ramada Inn his home.
"So hopefully everything will work out."
Until they had a chance to return to their apartments, residents weren't sure how extensive the damage was.
"I'm facing the front," second-floor tenant Veronika Van der Meer said.
"I hope and pray to god that my suite isn't that bad but I don't think it will be. It's just maybe some smoke damage – we don't know."
As reporters gathered sound-bites from witnesses and tenants, investigators gathered clues – see images »
Investigators were seen taking away a computer hard drive.
Due to the tight-knit community inside the seniors complex, the identity of the two persons killed became immediately known: Anna Fedorio and Ken Kopiak.
Anna lived in suite 305, Ken in suite 307 ... and residents said the burned-out car belonged to Ken.
As people milled about the scene, medical examiner's office personnel were inside the building making a brief on-site examination of the two bodies before moving them to a waiting van – see images »
Through media interviews, a picture slowly emerged of the two people who had died – read more »
"She was very friendly person, talking to everybody – saying hello," Eva Stokowski said of Anna Fedorio.
Stokowski's mother lived in the complex and both knew the woman by sight.
"She was living for many years here in this building so everybody know each other.
"Her two daughters are there – they just found out," Stokowski noted.
After greeting family and learning of their loss, one of the daughters demanded to see the body and bolted to the rear of the building – see images »
A plain-clothes officer escorted the woman back to her family.
Fedorio was Polish and spoke limited English, according to her neighbours. She had four children – two sons and two daughters – along with eight grandchildren and a great-grandson.
"She was a nice person," Jawiga Sliwniski said, adding that Anna was kind to people she met, waving hello in the hallways, always smiling.
"She was always going to the window to see if her kids were coming or if anyone was going to church," neighbour Jane Sanderson said.
The building manager, Gerard Korte, described Fedorio as a "nice, great old Polish baba."
Fedorio's identity was also confirmed by her priest Father Slawek Oblak of Our Lady Queen of Poland Parish, the church next to the seniors building.
What neighbhours said about Ken Kopiak was troubling if true – read more »
"Ken was ... he was pretty mixed up," fifth-floor Bethany Senior Citizens Home resident Ron Williams said.
"I talked to Ken for some time. He was suicidal. There were cuts on his hands and on his wrists.
"When we watched the Stanley Cup together, he talked a lot about suicide. We talked a lot and he wanted to off himself. I thought he was off his meds."
Williams said that in addition to being a self-admitted schizophrenic, Kopiak had other issues.
"He was dealing with diabetes. His kidneys were to be removed and replaced ... stomach cancer."
Then Williams delivered a shocker.
"Ken was a demolition expert with the army. He used to blow up bridges. He had a lot of guns," he said.
"You just kinda guess how he would do it ... didn't know he would go this way."
A number of seniors said Kopiak seemed particularly agitated of late. But Williams said the last time he saw his friend – two days before the explosion at a birthday party held in the home – he seemed alright.
"That day was like any other normal day," Williams said.
"He was just acting normal. He was talking to people, eating cake and drinking coffee. That was the last time I have ever seen him."
The next thing Williams knew of his friend was hearing what he thought was his car door slam – about thirty seconds before the vehicle blew up.
"I didn't think he had that much hate in him to try to take a lot of people with him," Williams said.
Another resident, Dianne Greek, claims to have seen Ken pour the gasoline into his car.
"When I saw him running from his vehicle with a jerry can to the apartment, he was grinning," she said.
"And he had such like a devil's look in his eyes."
81-year-old Jane Sanderson, a resident who lived four doors down from Kopiak, described the man as disturbed.
"I did not trust him. I was afraid of him. Everybody thought he was off his rocker," she said.
But of a friend of Ken's, who knew him for more than a decade, said the man had his good points. However, she stopped talking to the man after a "falling out" last year.
"It's a sad day in our community. Anna will be very deeply missed and so will Ken in his own way," Veronika Van der Meer said.
"There were times – because I worked evenings a lot – there were times when I came home – he had the key to my apartment – I came home and the dishes were done.
"Okay, you know, so – it was ... those are things I want to remember about Ken. I don't want to remember the bad things."
Van der Meer said Kopiak looked after her because of her arthritic knee, buying groceries for her and sometimes cooking meals.
But she conceded that she believed her friend had set the explosions that killed him and Anna Fedorio.
"He did have his good qualities, okay, but right now my anger is coming through and would rather not discuss that.
"The only thing I can think of is he was a very, very, very sad man – a very selfish man.
"There's moments when you sit and cry – but it's all good because tears are good.
"He was a very sad person ...very desperate person. And at the end, a very lonely person."
The friendship between Kopiak and Van der Meer broke down as medical, financial, and personal problems overwhelmed the man.
In addition to a difficult divorce in the late 1980s, suffering big losses on the stock market, his diabetes and kidney failure, Kopiak had just learned he now had stomach cancer. He was in constant pain and used a cane and sometimes a walker.
What seemed to be the final blow for Kopiak came last month after his mother, who he had looked after for years, died.
Recently, Van der Meer said, a ruffled-hair Kopiak appeared in the lobby, asking for a Financial Post like he was having a nightmare.
"With Ken, the glass was never half full. It was always half empty," Van der Meer said.
Five days before the blast, Kopiak had given Van der Meer photos and personal items to disperse among family and friends.
"He came up to me and he was crying, and Ken never cried," she said.
It should have been a sign, Ron Williams said.
"I'm angry right now because he took a good life with him," Van der Meer said. "Anna was a sweetheart. She didn't need to go like that."
Williams said some residents he had spoken with weren't angry at Kopiak but rather sympathetic toward his plight.
"A lot of people are hurting for him," he said. "They understand. They've been through a lot."
Kopiak was said to have two sons in Vancouver.
August 3rd, 2011
The day after the explosion and fire began with a dramatic turn of events.
Working off information supplied by a former girlfriend of Ken Kopiak's, police took no chances and called out the bomb squad – read more »
The bomb unit was initially at the building to do a post-blast investigation. Just as they arrived, police got word from a detective at the Ramada Inn South.
Veronika Van der Meer, who had once befriended Ken Kopiak, mentioned something to a friend of hers who happened to be a police officer.
The officer in turn called investigators who met the woman and grabbed her car keys.
While details of what Van der Meer's concerns were weren't immediately revealed, police at the seniors complex quickly turned their attention to the woman's silver Ford Focus.
Police termed the exercise as precautionary.
"Got the explosives unit out here to render any other area of the scene safe," Sgt. Ray Akbar of the EPS bomb unit said.
"There has been some speculation that some other vehicles have been tampered with possible incendiary or explosive type makeshift devices.
"So the bomb unit is out here to do an assessment and take care of any issues that may cause any concern for public safety at this point," Akbar said.
First police deployed a robot equipped with sensors able to detect the presence of explosive materials.
After the robot's cursory inspection of the area, Sgt. Akbar got suited up. Those at the scene then witnessed something straight out of the movie The Hurt Locker.
The bomb squad wrapped up their investigation around noon and deemed the area safe.
"There's some information that came in that one of the vehicles may have an IED or incendiary device inside that vehicle which led us to take the steps you saw today," Acting Sgt. Steve Maertens-Poole said after the search was complete.
"Eventually we deployed a robot and one of our techs on foot to make sure the vehicle was clear, which it turned out to be.
"Just an abundance of caution to make sure that the community is safe and our members are safe," Maertens-Poole said.
"At this time there is no identified specific threat to suggest that there's anything that would require people to be evacuated," Sgt. Akbar added.
As the day wound down, what was once a scene of intense activity looked more like a ghost town – see images »
Debris filled the parking stall where the Plymouth Acclaim once sat.
An officer fills the time by filling in his notebook while keeping the scene secure.
The Canadian Red Cross had stepped in immediately, helping 41 people with accommodation, food, and medical needs – read more »
"We'll be responding, providing prescription medicine – filling those for individuals – glasses, dentures, and other medical equipment," Randie Anderson said.
That help usually lasts 72 hours. After that, needs are assessed on a case-by-case basis and some may be referred to other services.
Despite what they had just gone through, the displaced residents staying at the Ramada Inn South didn't appear too concerned.
"Yesterday I talked to the policeman that's maybe tomorrow go to my suite and bring the chair and everything," Henryk Matys said.
"And next, I don't know. Maybe another company help."
Veronika Van der Meer was trying her best to stay positive.
"I am a very angry lady, but the community has been wonderful. It is really devastating for a lot of people," Van der Meer said.
"We all seem to be in pretty good spirits. We're a community within a community. We look after each other.
"The Red Cross said Alberta Works will kick in. They're looking after us so we don't need to worry," Van der Meer said.
"I also have family and friends that I can rely on."
Alberta Works is a provincial program that helps persons with low incomes cover their basic costs of living.
Dianne Greek said she might end up at her sister's in Beaumont after her three days at the hotel were up. The 10-year Bethany resident escaped the blaze with just the bare essentials.
"It just goes to show you can't take anything for granted. I just took my teeth and ran out," Greek said.
The Red Cross provided her with clothing to last a few days, while friends have offered other personal items and toiletries.
"The Red Cross were just wonderful. Very helpful," Greek said. "I can't say enough about them."
"I have no idea what I'm going to be able to do," June Sanderson said.
The senior was not looking forward to returning to the place she had called home for two decades. She was one of seven seniors hospitalised with high carbon monoxide levels.
"I don't want to go back there to the building again but I may have to if it's finished, I don't know.
"The Red Cross is trying to find us places to temporarily stay and my friends are also looking for a place for me" Sanderson said.
A very busy Gerard Korte, the Bethany's building manager, met with residents at the hotel but he couldn't offer them a firm timeline as to when they could return.
With police treating the entire facility as a crime scene, Korte couldn't even get into his own office. He did suggest it would be a considerable length of time before the complex would be habitable again.
A spokesman for Alberta Housing and Urban Affairs said residents were told that their hotel bill would continue to be covered until they are placed in long-term temporary housing facilities throughout the city.
"We'll try to place them in another seniors self-contained housing unit as soon as possible," Donna McColl said.
The spokesman added she wasn't sure when or if some of the residents would be able to return to their homes, adding that alternative space was being sought.
"We are already working on some of that match-making. We'll find the best fit we can for people."
Keeping the neighbours together was considered key to helping them cope and communicate.
"In this situation, I know a lot are good friends. It would be good if we could stay here [at the Ramada]. We're close-knit," Ron Williams said.
With many of the residents speaking limited English, he said, having others nearby to communicate with was important.
"It's a community within a community," Williams said. "To uproot them and put people in different places, it's traumatic."
The commitment to finding a place for everyone was shared by Alberta Senior Citizens Housing Assocation (which bills itself as "the voice and champion for seniors housing").
"I think that all of the housing operators will pool together," spokesman Irene Martin said, adding the challenge was to keep all those affected in same part of the city as neighbours are also good friends.
"There are two or three of them right in that same neighbourhood – whether they have vacancies or long wait lists we don't know," Martin said.
"But we know if we look at the whole portfolio of the seniors self-contained program, there would be space for them somewhere."
The Bethany is a government-owned affordable housing project set up to meet the needs of those on fixed incomes who rely on subsidised housing.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Jonathan Denis, said there would be no increase in rent for any of the residents no matter where they ended up living and that the province would cover any costs associated with relocation.
If residents chose to stay with family until the Bethany was once again available, they would not be required to pay rent for the vacated property until they returned.
Denis said the displaced seniors would have to be split up among several homes as it was not possible to rehouse them together.
"The goal is to get people back into the same building, but if they want to stay in their new accommodations, we would support that as well," he said.
Late August 3rd, the Bethany Seniors Home was turned back over to the building manager.
The appropriate agencies would now determine when tenants were able to return to their suites, police said.
August 4th, 2011
Two days after the explosion, investigators announced that autopsies had been completed but positive identification of the two deceased had yet to be made.
Police did say that consultations were continuing to take place between homicide detectives, arson investigators, the post-blast analysts and forensics to determine the sequence of events, and eventually the cause of death.
The results may not be available for several weeks, they added.
A police spokesman called the investigation "complex," noting a lot of work still remained to be done.
Investigators continued to treat the deaths as suspicious but weren't looking for suspects.
"There is still a lot of components in the investigation that have to come together, as well as positively identifying the bodies," the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, dozens of displaced residents met with Bethany officials at the Ramada hotel in an effort to sort out how long it would be before they could return home – read more »
"I want to go home. I want to see my stuff. I want to get my computer," Veronika Van der Meer said.
"I want to sleep in my own bed – I want my own pillow."
After all was said and done, residents were little the wiser.
"They'll let us know as it has to still be cleared. It was a good meeting," Van der Meer said.
One woman said she found the displacement difficult and the thought of moving more than once was something she wasn't looking forward to.
"Because once I get in a place I don't want to move again," Annie Cornelson said. "It's been kind of hard [and] emotional."
August 5th, 2011
A prayer service was held for 83-year-old Anna Fedorio as family flew in for her funeral set for the next day – read more »
"It wasn't her time to go yet," Anna Fedorio's daughter, Bernice Brown, told the Edmonton Journal. "We miss her dearly."
Fedorio spoke limited English, having moved to Canada from Poland about thirty years ago.
She apparently did not know Kopiak well, telling her daughter the man would sometimes bang on doors throughout the building.
The family also addressed media reports that Kopiak had recently given close friends personal items, asking them to pass them on to family members.
"We didn't know that," Brown said. If she had been aware, she added, she would have notified the building manager immediately to protect her mother's safety.
Brown said her father was devastated after he learned of his wife's sudden death (Anna and Mike lived separately).
Fedorio had "the best" garden in Poland, Brown said, and brought her love of growing flowers and vegetables to Canada when she moved. At the Bethany complex, she tended to the plants around the building.
"That's what kept her going," Brown said.
Brown said her mother was friendly with everyone in the building and was also an active member of her church, located next door.
Residents in the seniors come from a range of backgrounds but Fedorio never let language barriers get in the way of conversations about flowers.
"It didn't matter," Brown said, adding her mother would gesture and smile to get her point across instead.
August 6th, 2011
Four days after she died in a explosion and fire, a Mass of Christian Burial was held for Anna Fedorio in the church she faithfully attended.
The Our Lady Queen of Poland Parish, at 9906 83 Avenue, is next door to the Bethany Senior Citizens Home. The two buildings were separated by police tape and temporary fencing.
For family, the location of the funeral was bittersweet: the place where the 83-year-old celebrated life being so close to where she met her death.
It was also the place where her family demanded answers to the question of why she had to die in such a tragic fashion – read more »
"We didn't have to lose our mom, it's very hard," Chester Fedorio said.
Chester was one of Anna's four grown children who were struggling hard to cope with their loss.
"She was very friendly lady like so many was speaking ... "
" ... she was the best mother you could ever wish for," his brother Wayne added. "It's unfortunate that we had a guy like that living in the building."
By now Fedorio's family was well aware of the concerns surrounding Ken Kopiak's mental well-being.
"He's pretty much told everyone that he was going to off himself, that he was going to do something terrible like that, and it wasn't prevented," Wayne said.
"The signs were there and it's unfortunate that there's no steps put in place to get him some help – psychiatric help.
"It's unbelievable that this tragedy – that this had to happen. It's beyond me."
Chester questioned why Kopiak wasn't in a more suitable facility.
"We just wonder why the hell he was still there, why he wasn't under some kind of supervision. Maybe in a hospital, maybe in a mental hospital," he said.
"Why was he there when he was so mentally sick that he would take another person's life with him?
"My mom didn't have to go so soon and she was a very lovely lady and so many people would say. She never hurt even a fly. We couldn't ask for a better mom.
"Maybe that man needed help and there was nobody to give him help. Medication or something. I don't know, I just don't know. I wasn't there," Chester said.
Wayne took the opportunity to warn others.
"If there's some other guy out there, please do something about it – get him some psychiatric help and prevent this tragedy from ever happening again. Especially when all the signs were there and nothing was done about it. That's what angers me," he said.
"No one should kill themselves, because there's help out there ... but please don't take anyone else with you."
The loss of their mother weighed heavily on both brothers.
"It's very hard. She was a very friendly lady," Chester said.
"Members of the Bethany Home, they loved her so much... and she wouldn't hurt a fly. She was best mother we could ever ask for."
Anna had lived alone in the seniors complex for two decades. Her husband of nearly 60 years, Mike, lived in a separate assisted-living home in the city.
In addition, Fedorio was survived by four children, eight grandchildren and a great-grandson.
"She was just a caring, giving person, she never let anyone go hungry, even strangers," Wayne said.
"That's one thing I'll remember my mum by – her great, great, great heart.
"It's a sad day for all of us, and the Polish community. We've lost a great lady," Wayne said.
At the funeral, Pastor Slawvomir Oblak encouraged the family to gradually move beyond the tragedy through prayer.
Management at the building met with several tenants who attended the funeral, telling them after the service that they could get in to go through their belongings the following day.
While autopsies had been completed on the bodies, police remain tight-lipped about cause of death.
Chester Fedorio was present at his mother's autopsy and said she was burned beyond recognition.
He added that they still need to get an X-ray from the Grey Nun's Hospital and dental reports before police would confirm her identity.
"We know it's her but they want to be 101% sure," Chester said. "It's so hard, unbelievable."
Violence and the elderly
The tragedy the Fedorio family suffered underscored how vulnerable some seniors feel in the own homes. That's the view taken by at least one advocate who blamed the provincial government and seniors homes administrators for failing to protect older persons – read more »
"The troubling issue is that the elderly were afraid of him ... the other persons were afraid," Ruth Adria of the Elder Advocates of Alberta Society said of Ken Kopiak.
"They lived in fear and nobody remedied the problem."
Adria confirmed that prior to the fire she had dealt with some residents in the building. It's apparent this was a long-standing problem, she said.
"As soon as I heard this, I thought, 'Why wasn't something done? How could it happen?' And it's clear he must have threatened them in some way. They were afraid."
The Bethany is an independent-living facility with an on-site manager and Adria said she was certain that the problem was well-documented.
"Certainly the manager knew that he was a big problem, and that the others were afraid of him," she said. "When you get old, the fight is out of you and you're just trying to survive."
Bethany officials declined comment when contacted by media but one administrator said he had no knowledge of Kopiak's apparent deteriorating mental health before the fire.
Kerry Williamson with Alberta Health Services says AHS had no involvement with the facility which is privately operated.
But Williamson noted there were plenty of resources in place to help those with mental health problems.
"We have an entire mental health portfolio to offer people help. It's hard to say if this guy fell through the cracks," he said.
The building is owned by the provincial government and falls under the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Jonathan Denis.
Adria said the concerns of seniors were forwarded to the ministry which, she said, chose to overlook the problem.
Provincial spokesman Donna McColl said an investigation would be conducted but wouldn't elaborate further as the matter was still in the hands of police.
Another seniors advocate said crimes against the elderly were deplorable.
John MacDonald, executive director for Alberta's Seniors United counted the five seniors killed in Edmonton in 2011 as five too many.
Details of the deaths MacDonald spoke of can be read here – read more »
On April 13th, 2011, the bodies of Perry Kit Wong, 72, and his wife Eloise Fendelet, 71, were discovered lying side-by-side in a field near the intersection of 215th Street and Webber Green Drive in west Edmonton.
Wong and Fendelet were last seen separately on December 27th, 2010 and were reported missing to police on January 18th. Their cause of death was not released out of respect for family members but police did rule out murder-suicide.
On May 31st, 2011, 70-year-old Robert Anderson was found dead from a beating inside his Burlington Tower apartment at 12841 65 Street.
The frail man with a generous heart fell victim to foul play after winning it big at a local casino. Police charged Anderson's short-term roommate with second-degree murder after the senior hadn't been for several days.
An 84-year-old Chinese senior was assaulted during a break-in at Edmonton Chinese Seniors Lodge, 9521 102A Avenue, on May 8th, 2011.
The woman died ten days later and on September 19th, 2011, her death was classified as homicide. Charges already laid against a 45-year-old man were upgraded to second-degree murder.
2010 and 2009 only saw one homicide each involving a senior.
On August 26th, 2010, Manfred Arthur Geisendorf was alone in his home near 117th Avenue and 91st Street when he heard a man breaking into his house. The feisty 73-year-old defended his turf but suffered a severe beating and died 11 weeks later. A 19-year-old turned himself in to police after a Canada-wide warrant was issued.
On April 22nd, 2009, 64-year-old Treana Theresa Carlson died from head trauma after a beating she received inside her home at 11914 81 Street. Several days later, police charged Carlson's son-in-law with first-degree murder.
2008 saw three murders involving seniors.
On April 16th, 2008, 77-year-old Hans Alberts and his wife had just eaten at the Royal Fork Buffet, 15061 Stony Plain Road, celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary.
As they approached their car in the parking lot, a 23-year-old man came up and stabbed Alberts. The man was later arrested in Regina after police had tailed a Greyhound bus destined for Montreal. He was charged with second-degree murder.
On October 26th, 2008, a caretaker checking on reports of a transient inside the Clarewood Apartments at 3757 139 Avenue discovered the body of 77-year-old Lawrence Nicholas Bosiak lying in a stairwell. The death remains unsolved.
On November 13th, 2008, 60-year-old Maia Soukonnik was found dead inside a second-floor suite at 9023 184 Street. Police charged her son, 20-year-old Rostislav Soukonnik, with second-degree murder.
On April 24th, 2007, the body of 63-year-old William George Ruptash was discovered inside a sixth-floor suite of Capital Tower at 10028 106 Avenue. The stabbing death has yet to be solved.
On November 17th, 2007, 65-year-old William James Kapach was beaten and left on the sidewalk near 96th Street and 102A Avenue. He died five days later after he was taken off life support. No suspects have been identified.
On February 10th, 2006, realtor William Maloney, 63, was found stabbed inside his home at 20 Lancaster Crescent in St. Albert. Police charged a 26-year-old woman with second-degree murder. She later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
On August 12th, 2006, 60-year-old Cleophus Delorme McGilvery was found beaten near Princess Elizabeth Avenue and 101st Street. The case remains unsolved.
On September 15th, 2006, 85-year-old Evangelina Almeida was found dead in her home at 16135 57 Street. Joao Pacheco De Almeida, 86, was charged with second-degree murder.
"The vulnerable are always the victims of predators," MacDonald said. "They are easier to attack, and far less capable of fighting back."
Adria said the trend was certain to spark fear in Edmonton's senior population.
"It creates fear for seniors, of course," she said.
"They are afraid on the streets, many are frightened even in their own homes, and that's not right."
Adria stressed the importance of not only respecting elders, but protecting them.
The explosion and fire at the Bethany also highlighted the shortage of senior's housing in Edmonton.
While the province promised to find places for those displaced by the fire, that would put pressure on others waiting.
"What will happen is existing people on wait list will be waiting even longer," Swonek said.
The foundation has 2,500 housing units and already a year-long waiting list of 400 people.
"A wait list is based upon need, as opposed to first-come, first-serve, so these people would be on the top of the wait list because obviously they're low-income and they are homeless," Swonek said.
NDP MLA Rachel Notley, who represents Edmonton-Strathcona where the Bethany is located, said units are filled as fast as they are built.
"We just know that the number of seniors who need this kind of housing is growing every day," Notley said.
August 7th, 2011
After five days of living without their belongings, residents of the Bethany Senior Citizens Home were allowed a brief visit to retrieve what they could.
For the Fedorio family, it was chance to find some answers ... and they later shared photographs taken inside their mother's fire-damaged suite – read more »
"I just grabbed the good stuff ... my buddy help me. The cellphone, my wallet – a least I got my wallet and the clothing," Guenter Marzian said.
Residents were given a six-hour period within which they could just spend a few minutes to gather salvageable belongings.
For some, it was an emotional ordeal – one they didn't want to share with media.
But for others, they were simply happy to see what had become of their homes.
"It was very well-organised, and we appreciated that," a woman named Judith told the Edmonton Sun.
"It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be on my way here, but I was on the first floor, so my suite wasn't completely destroyed."
The subject of Ken Kopiak was raised ... and it raised the woman's nerves.
"It's really scary, definitely," Judith said, adding she won't be returning to former home when it reopens.
"I can't explain why, I just would never come back."
During what she described as a surreal experience, Judith couldn't help but notice the mundane.
"It was one of my first thoughts, oh, I guess I never did the dishes that night," she laughed.
"Then I focused on grabbing the necessities: passports, photos, jewellery, those kinds of things."
Judith and the others still at the Ramada Inn South still faced the challenge of finding alternative housing.
"I still don't know yet where I'll live," she said.
With the chance to return to complex coming day after funeral, the Fedorio family was reluctant to visit the blast site. But they came hoping to recover some of Anna's personal belongings and perhaps find some answers ... not knowing what to expect.
Out of sensitivity, organisers had the family wait until the end of the day to allow them more time inside the building.
"It's very hard but we try to stick together to give each other support," son Chester Fedorio said.
"We thought today was going to be better – it's not," Joanne Laniak said. "I just want some pictures."
"We were told her suite is very black so it's quite possible there's nothing left," daughter Bernice Brown said.
Standing by her sister, Bernice brought up what seemed to be the unfathomable question her family was still struggling to deal with.
"Someone should have done something about it and get him medical help," she said.
"He wouldn't have to die and our mom would not have to die in such a horrific way. The whole thing could have been prevented if someone would get him help."
The family said the past few days had been difficult and they hoped no other family would have to go through the same experience.
"If you can do anything – anything at all – to prevent this tragedy again to happen to somebody else, please help us so no innocent life had to be taken away, Joanne said.
The family stayed inside the building for about an hour. They walked out with a few bags and their mother's bible which remained intact.
They also took pictures of the suite and shared them with Global Edmonton, the only broadcaster at the scene.
August 18th, 2011
Just over three weeks after the explosion, police said work on the case was continuing and that cause of death remained to be determined.
A spokesman said the delay wasn't unusual considering that much of the scene was destroyed by fire and water.
"It can vary with every case. With the north-side explosion last year, it took months to complete the investigation. They're still finishing up. There are so many [different] parts to this investigation."
The spokesman was referring to the Lago Lindo explosion on June 20th, 2010, that killed three people and nearly levelled a neighbourhood.
September 20th, 2011
Seven weeks after the Bethany explosion and fire, police ruled the death of 83-year-old Anna Fedorio a homicide.
While official record books would mark the death as Edmonton's 39th of the year – trying a record set in 2005 – two cases from previous years were included as part of 2011's count to comply with Statistics Canada standards.
The announcement also marked the end of the police investigation.
"We were working with a very unique crime scene. It took a great deal of time and work to gather all the necessary information, and to examine all the evidence," Det. Dwayne Lakusta said.
"A large number of resources – including post-blast analysts, forensics investigators, arson and fire investigators, and the Medical Examiners office – were utilised to conclude this investigation," Lakusta wrote in a release to media.
It was that large number of resources involved that led to the delay in classifying the death a homicide. Normally police only have to wait on autopsy or toxicology results before a death is ruled the result of murder.
Police also detailed the sequence of events they believed had occurred.
Ken Kopiak, 64, had lit his vehicle on fire and proceeded into his apartment where he spread gasoline throughout the suite.
Subsequently, an explosion and fire occurred as a result of Kopiak's actions, causing Fedorio's death.
Fedorio's death has been deemed a homicide while Kopiak's death was non-criminal, police said.
While the term "non-criminal" covers a range of actions, it was widely believed that the manner of Kopiak's death was suicide – something police wouldn't speculate on.
"All that we can say is that the fire and the explosion that had occurred directly led to the death of Anna Fedorio," a police spokesman said.
"There are no charges laid, there is no court case."
While police had closed their investigation, closure remained elusive for some of those involved – read more »
"What I feel sad about is that he displaced a whole community," Veronika Van der Meer said.
"There was 58 of us that got turned over all helter-skelter all over the city."
Van der Meer was the last of the nearly-five dozen seniors to find a residence, having moved to temporary accommodations just a week before news of Fedorio's death being declared a homicide.
The confirmation seemed to help by taking away some of the uncertainty.
"It's probably a lot of closure for a lot of us. He was a very troubled man," Kopiak's friend Ron Williams said.
Meanwhile, work on restoring the building could finally begin now that the police investigation had closed.
"The first room right there in that room was where the accident happened," Chris Richet said. "Those are the worst ones.
"The rest of it – second and third floors not bad, the fourth's okay. But the two rooms where the initial blow-up was, it's pretty bad in there," Richet said.
It was figured it would take at least three months to make the facility livable again. It would take much longer for the former residents to re-build their lives.
The chief administrative officer of the Bethany Senior Citizens Home said it would take up to a year before work was complete.
"I'm just happy that the residents are located in new homes and they all seem to be doing very well," Gerard Korte said, adding that many had expressed interest in returning.
Donna McColl, a spokesman for Alberta's Housing and Urban Affairs, said most of the seniors had found alternative housing but a few were still at the hotel.
McColl said the ministry was working on accommodating any special needs the seniors have, such as low-mobility.
Leila Doud of the Red Cross said $20,000 in funds was used to support the victims.
Housing and Urban Affairs did not provide an estimate for hotel costs and related expenses.
While police consider the case closed the case, an elder advocate felt there needed to be further investigation into why Kopiak was allowed to stay in the facility since knowledge of his suffering from 'severe mental issues' seemed widespread.
"It's troubling that this is as far as the investigation is going," Elder Advocate Society of Alberta spokesman Ruth Adria said.
"The family, we know, will be pursuing the matter. I think they were hoping there would be more done by the police on this."
Adria said that other residents in the building were afraid of Kopiak and had forwarded several complaints to Bethany management.
"It is troubling he was allowed to live there. No one took any action. There is no protection for them," she said, adding that in the past seniors have been threatened or even evicted if they complain – including some at the Bethany.
For Anna Fedorio's family, many questions remained in spite of the police announcement.
"We don't know where to seek the answers now," son Chester Fedorio said.
"Everyone is pointing the finger at [Kopiak] but he's gone too.
"He's responsible for that but gosh, why was he there when he was suicidal and stuff like that? Why didn't anyone get him some help?" Chester wondered.
The family said it was now applying to see the official police report, but Chester conceded that little comfort might be found.
"It feels very bad, we want to get answers we might never get," Chester said, "We'll just have to let it go."
Media notes
While some media outlets had trouble with identification and spelling, one media personality had no trouble keeping his cool – read more »
Lest one think that everything one sees is true, consider the following multiple attributions given to those quoted ...
Was it Charleen or Sharleen ... and Sauv or Sauve? Things got worse when it came to identifying others ...
And while the average person would normally take notice of a man walking by in a bomb suit, not so CBC's Scott Fralick ...
... whose text messages seemed of greater importance than his sense of personal well-being.
At least Fralick waited until the official all-clear was given before he got up close and personal with his focus on the Ford the police bomb techs were so interested in just moments before.
All the information presented on this page has been compiled primarily from published media reports and should not be interpreted as having legal bearing or other prejudice against the individuals named on this web site. The Last Link on the Left practices fair presentation and the disclosure of relevant interests. Mouseover for image credits.
