'It's needed': Hudson Bay hosts Safety Day in honour of late student

Hudson Bay, Sask. -

Cade Sprackman had a zest for life, and hoped to be breaking into the cinematic world in 2023.

He left his home community of Hudson Bay after graduating in 2014, getting a job at a tire recycling facility. Three weeks into the job, his first, Sprackman was killed in a workplace accident that was preventable.

He was 18-years-old.

Since Sprackman’s death, his parents decided to partner with the Saskatchewan Safety Council (SSC), looking to make a difference in the lives of graduates that came after him.

“It’s a wonderful day that’s born of tragedy,” said Michell Gulka, Hudson Bay Community School vice principal.

This year is the fourth annual Cade Sprackman Safety Day at the school. It was held Tuesday, with students young and old getting the rundown on not just workplace safety, but applied, hands on experience.

“It doesn’t matter where you work, it’s needed,” said Amanda Wood, SSC communications coordinator.

For the students, they were happy to learn outside of the classroom, with facilitators from multiple agencies assisting in the day-long event. It included heavy-duty machinery safety, water safety, power line safety, and even a bit of survival training.

Moving forward, the SSC said it hopes to continue to grow this venture to other schools across Saskatchewan, as workplace accidents continue to happen throughout the province.