Trent Letwiniuk, a co-owner and director of Gravity Architecture, died in a motorcycle accident on Heritage Day, August 4. Friends, family, and colleagues are mourning his loss.

Calgary police reported that Letwiniuk, in his 40s, was riding a 2017 Kawasaki motorcycle when he lost control while changing lanes on Stoney Trail N.W., under the Crowchild Trail N.W. overpass. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities do not believe that speed, alcohol, or drugs contributed to the crash. The incident is still under investigation, but no criminal charges have been filed.

Gravity Architecture released a statement expressing their devastation over Letwiniuk's passing. The firm is thinking of his family during this difficult time. Letwiniuk was a founding partner of Inertia Residential Design in 2006 and later co-founded Gravity Architecture in 2014, which employs 26 people across offices in Calgary and Vancouver.

“We are grateful for the sympathy and thoughtfulness that our colleagues and clients have expressed to us as we have sadly delivered this terrible news over the last week,” the statement read. “The team at Gravity had the opportunity to gather this week and process Trent’s loss. It was confusing and sad, cathartic and kind, and a tremendous reminder of the support that we have in each other.”

Following Letwiniuk's death, Stephen Barnecut will take over as the sole owner of the company. Barnecut, who worked alongside Letwiniuk for 26 years, described him as an energetic person who loved engaging with others. “I feel like we’ve lost him, in other ways I will always have him as a partner,” Barnecut said. “I’ll always consult him about what he would have said, done, or thought, and so long as I am working here, which I plan on doing for quite a while, Trent is going to be here.”

Barnecut noted that the entire team is feeling the impact of Letwiniuk's absence. “Everyone is devastated,” he said. “This was someone in the full swing of his career, and someone we worked together with every day. He was a big part of this business.”

Letwiniuk played a crucial role in managing accounts for the Calgary office and was the main business development person for the firm. His responsibilities had grown significantly, prompting him to work on distributing tasks among other team members.

A funeral service for Letwiniuk is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Eden Brook Funeral Home & Cemetery in Calgary.