In Profile: Thunder Bay Steps for Life Committee

Steps for Life Thunder Bay committee in 2024

by Georgina Murphy, Regional Development Coordinator

In the early years of Steps for Life, Thunder Bay was one of only three communities hosting a walk. Their event started in 2007 and continued until 2011. They were “a small committee of passionate and dedicated safety folks,” says Mika Lees, current Thunder Bay planning committee co-chair. The Steps for Life walk made a return to Thunder Bay in 2020 and has been a growing event since.

When they re-established the walk in Thunder Bay, they had small numbers due to the pandemic but went ahead thanks to the efforts of an enthusiastic planning committee who walked anyway. The walk has grown from under 50 walkers, to an impressive 161 walkers in 2024.

The 2025 committee, which stands at 13, has members from the original 2007 group and adds to its membership every year. Randi Monteith, one of the original volunteers from 2007, continues to be an active contributing member. Randi and Mika were inspired to get involved when they heard Shirley Hickman, Threads of Life’s founder, share the story of her son Tim’s tragedy. At that time, Randi and Mika were both involved in delivering Young Worker Awareness Presentations (YWAP) to high school students and wanted to help make a difference for families. “It was a pleasure to meet Shirley on multiple occasions and contribute to an absolutely vital organization that helps so many people when they or a family member have suffered a tragedy at work,” says Randi.

In 2019 Heather Bouley, current Thunder Bay planning committee co-chair, heard Bob Quarrell, a Threads of Life speaker telling the story of how he lost his son to a workplace tragedy. She was moved as her own son had recently been injured at work and she realized “how lucky he was to still be here.” The speaker shared that the last walk in Thunder Bay was in 2011 and Heather told her husband, “ I am bringing this walk back”. Heather met Mika Lees and Rob Popien who leveraged their connections, and they collectively brought the walk back for 2020 with supporters inspired by the mission of Threads of Life.

Mika reflects “Every walk has had something special about it. We overcame the challenges of COVID, and our committee walked anyhow our first year back, spacing each family unit 30 minutes apart but still gathering at the Carpenter’s Hall (even though it was closed) and Heather proudly bugled The Last Post.”

“I have fond memories of our first four years of walks (2007- 2011) with our children being so young, all our families coming together,” Mika adds. “Randi’s parents were our original course marshals!” Mika’s daughter Scotia is now a member of the planning committee, and her infant grandson (appropriately named Walker) is an honourary member who often attends the in-person planning meetings.

A new committee member in 2025, Brittany Mackett, combines her professional experience and personal drive to support families impacted by workplace tragedies. “As a WSIB employee, I have seen the devastation of workplace tragedies,” she says. “I volunteer for Threads of Life as I am extremely passionate about the work they do. No one should leave for work and not come home.”

The committee members are active volunteers in many facets of their community, including representation from local utilities, businesses and unions as well as health and safety organizations. The dedication of this committee, those who have been there since 2007 and those who have joined since, makes the Steps for Life walk a huge success in Thunder Bay. They have generated awareness in the community, created a gathering of walkers each year who are supportive of the cause and have raised over $80,000 for Threads of Life over the years.

Thank you to the 2025 members of the Threads of Life Steps for Life committee!
Ani Dava, Brittany Mackett, Bruce Kruger, Heather Bouley, Kris DeGiacomo, Laura Zaina, Mika Lees, Randi Monteith, Robert Popien, Sandie Kulchar, Scotia Biloski, Terry Bochko, Tracy Apperly