4th Annual Cade Sprackman Safety Day

​Thanks to sponsors and volunteers, the fourth annual Cade Sprackman Safety Day took place at Hudson Bay Community School on May 30th, 2023, organized by Saskatchewan Safety Council. The entire K–12 school engaged to learn about injury prevention and honour Cade.
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Cade Sprackman grew up in Hudson Bay, SK, with his sister, two brothers, and loving parents. Cade had a driven love and passion for arts and cinema. He aspired to be a cinema director one day, after completing post-secondary education. On January 27th, 2015, only 3 weeks into a new job, Cade was involved in a workplace incident and was killed. He was only 18 years old. 

“People would share stories with me that he could light up a room and make everyone smile. As a young adult when he moved to Saskatoon, he couldn’t wait to get into the city and start his life. He was 18 years old and killed at the worksite”.
“I will never forget the night the RCMP came to the door with the news that Cade had died. All they could tell me was that it was an industrial accident that had happened at work. They knew no details”.
- Michelle Sprackman, Cade’s Mother

To kick things off the day of, Aleece Anderson, currently an educator at Hudson Bay Community School shared a few words. As a close friend, who grew up with Cade, she shared how losing a close friend can impact your life, and why it is important to take safety seriously while on the job. Her story was followed by comments made by four attending representatives from Weyerhaueser Company Limited.

After presentations, all attending youth participated in an Amazing Safety Quest, a non-timed, station-based obstacle course. ​The goal of this highly interactive educational activity is to, on a topic-by-topic basis, inform young and new workers of the extreme importance of workplace safety.​
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Participants watched demonstrations and took part in activities where they learned about agriculture safety; ATV safety; Powered Mobile Equipment safety; trades and industry specific safety (fall arrest, construction, power tool awareness, PPE safety); water safety; hazard recognition; mining and forestry safety; electrical safety; CPR; AEDs and the hazardous affects of distraction.

The safety demonstration stations were run by volunteers, many of whom attended to represent local area businesses.

The event was participated in by:

• Town of Hudson Bay
• H B Construction
• Lifesaving Society
• Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety
• Osihcikewin Trades Training
• Public Health
• Saskatchewan Safety Council
• SaskPower
• Weyerhaeuser

 
To capture the event, CTV Yorkton shared an excellent article on why the Cade Sprackman Safety Day event takes place and why more should take place across Saskatchewan. Local Hudson Bay newspaper, the Junction Review also featured the event, sharing that the event was deemed a success. 

Amanda Wood, Community Relations Coordinator with the Saskatchewan Safety Council shares her thoughts, “This event is near and dear to my heart. Working closely with the staff at Hudson Bay Community School and the Spackman’s. When we plan this event each year, the community comes together to make sure the event is a huge success. This year, we had new experiences for the students to engage in. Something new to try and learn and be informed of the safety measures for a variety of different industries. Safety is important in any workplace, even in our everyday lives, safety must be a top priority.

The feedback received by the students and educators was outstanding, being quoted the best one yet! Students were engaged and enjoyed the hands-on activities throughout the event. I’d like to thank the volunteers, educators, local businesses, and organizations who travelled to be a part of the event. It truly does take the support and expertise of everyone coming together to create a province of safety excellence!

A tragic incident took place, we lost the life of a young man who had the whole world ahead of him. Saskatchewan Safety Council is proud to honour Cade, share his story and continue to advocate for our young and new workers to prepare them for a successful and safe working career. Thank you to Michelle and Jerry Sprackman for continuing to support our mission and being advocates for the Career Safety Education program!”

Special thank you to Weyerhaeuser for sponsoring a BBQ lunch for the entire school.

An Amazing Safety Quest can be planned in any community, school or workplace in Saskatchewan. Are you looking for a fun way to incorporate safety-related activities at your next?
Learn more here: https://www.sasksafety.org/amazing-safety-quest.html.

Note: In the weeks leading up to this event, participating high school students in Hudson Bay also completed Career Safety Education – A free series of online safety courses designed to develop awareness, attitudes, and habits that result in a culture of safety that prevents injuries both at home and in the workplace. This, combined with the Amazing Safety Quest, will surely result in the community of Hudson Bay and surrounding area having a future workforce that places great emphasis on the importance of working safely.