'Truly exceptional person': Victim of fatal Hwy 97 crash ID'd as Okanagan winery manager

An Oliver winery is mourning the loss of their leader after a fatal crash in Kaleden last week.

Kane Morgan has been identified as the victim of the multi-vehicle collision on Hwy 97, which claimed the 37-year-old’s life as he drove home from the winery to Summerland around 5:15 pm.

Morgan was the general manager of Rust Wine Co. in Oliver and is survived by his wife, Jaki, and sons, Cassius and Walker.

A statement from the winery said Morgan was “employee number one,” having been involved in the construction of the winery from the ground up.

“He created one of the most remarkable and hospitable environments in the entire Canadian wine industry, leaving an indelible professional and personal legacy,” the statement said.

“Anyone who had the privilege of knowing him would have experienced his unbounded hospitality, sincerity and humour.”

The winery noted that Morgan was "not a common man," but rather a "truly exceptional person" with a superb intellect and way with words.

He was dedicated to his young family, the statement noted, and everyone he worked with and serviced through the wine industry.

Morgan is said to have had a “voracious commitment to living a truly full and remarkable life that touched everyone around him in a deep and meaningful way.”

The tributes to Morgan on Rust Wine’s social media pages are seemingly endless, with people using a barrage of different positive adjectives to describe him.

From “amazing man” to “absolute gem” to “warm and welcoming” to “a bright star in our community” and everything in between, it’s clear Morgan will be dearly missed.

Rust Wine’s sister winery, Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery in West Kelowna, has set up a portal to collect donations that will go directly to Jaki, Cassius and Walker, which you can access through this link.