Threads of Life helps families affected by workplace tragedy to heal
When a workplace injury, illness or death occurs, the impact can be devastating for family members of the victim.
That's why the Threads of Life organization was created — to help families get through an unimaginable tragedy that affects all too many people in Canada each year.
It's also why on May 1, hundreds of people in Regina and Saskatoon participated in the annual Steps for Life walk to raise funds for Threads of Life.
Shari Hinz, Western Canada regional development coordinator with Threads of Life, says it was one of the first organizations of its kind for families affected by a workplace incident.
“We were formed because there was a real gap in terms of what was available for families that were working through this process. So being able to provide that opportunity to get that one-on-one peer support from individuals who have gone through something similar — that's the power in terms of the organization.”
Threads of Life has a wide variety of programs, services and resources for family members.
Peer support is available in person, over the phone or online.
A Family Connect series of workshops covers a variety of topics, while family forums take place regionally throughout Canada, including October 28 to 30 in Saskatoon.
There are printed materials available, a monthly newsletter and a speakers' bureau.
Hinz says that some family members eventually reach a point where they feel able to share their personal story of loss in the hope it will help others continue to heal.
“We have to really give praise to our family members that reach that place where they are willing to share their story. I think it takes incredible courage. Their stories are all heart-breaking in some ways.”
She says the scope of workplace incidents is vast and the effects wide ranging.
“Every day, three workers die in Canada either because of a fatality incident or because of occupational disease. So during the course of a year that's over a thousand individuals,” says Linz.
“And the scope of the impact is far-reaching, it's not just the individual. It's the family members, it's the co-workers, it's the first responders. There's a ripple effect that goes far beyond one individual.”
Steps for Life fundraising walks took place in Regina and Saskatoon on May 1, with a family member in attendance to share their story.
In Saskatoon, Rebecca Orr spoke of her husband Lance who was killed on a construction site when a load of heavy concrete forms fell on him.
“Being the spokesperson for the Saskatoon Steps for Life walk gives me the chance to share my own personal story of a workplace fatality and living with the aftermath of that,” she said in a press release for the event. “Raising our daughter who never got a chance to meet her dad, walking this road without him on my own, and how it has changed me.”
At the Regina Steps for Like, Michelle Sprackman shared her family's story of son Cade being killed in just the third week of his job at a recycling plant.
“When a workplace tragedy or fatality occurs, it feels to the victim and their family that all sense of control and power are lost,” Sprackman said in a press release. “Being a member of this organization helps you feel that you are more than a statistic. You realize you are part of a caring community, and that you can make an impact. We are all impacted when workplace tragedy occurs. Together we can make a difference. Every person deserves to come home alive at the end of their shift.” Learn more at