Memory Lane: Each sign tells a story

In a normal Steps for Life year, Memory Lane is one of the most meaningful parts of the event. It looks a little different in every community, but this is one of the ways Steps for Life-Walking for Families of Workplace Tragedy can introduce the faces behind the workplace tragedy statistics. Each sign tells a story, even though we know that the few sentences on that sign are just a tiny fraction of the life of the individual and the family it represents.

For all the fun and laughter of a Steps for Life event, taking a few moments to walk along Memory Lane and read those signs is a sobering experience. It reminds each of us why we’re there; why we participate; why we volunteer; why we work in health and safety. It reminds us what’s important.

There are more than 200 different signs used at Steps for Life events across Canada. Every year we add a few more, at the request of individuals and their families. This year, seven new signs were all ready to go to the printer in March.

So when Steps for Life changed to a “your way” event this year, we wondered how to replace that Memory Lane experience. No worries – as always, our Threads of Life family members, volunteers and supporters came through.

The seven families whose signs were going to be introduced this year all agreed to share them electronically, so we were able to create the video you can see below.

And many individuals and communities found ways to share the experience of that moment in Steps for Life’s Memory Lane.

Thank you to everyone, for making sure the stories of Steps for Life Memory Lane are not forgotten.