The term “wake-up call” is often referred to as a singular moment.

Much like the “light bulb moment,” it is supposed to be a sudden realization that inspires one to take action.

The period of enlightenment is one element of the wake-up call, and the response to it – if it happens at all – is another potential component.

In our experience, there have been countless wake-up calls when it comes to workplace safety.

Before the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund (JPMF) even existed, the death of Calgary Police Service Const. John Petropoulos served as a wake-up call to first responders and other workers regarding occupational safety.

The JPMF was one of the responses to John’s line-of-duty death on Sept. 29, 2000 and the mission of the non-profit society that bears his name is to educate people about steps they can take to create safer work environments for everyone, including first responders.

Since John’s passing, 16,286 workplace-related fatalities were recorded in Canada between 2001 and 2017. On average, more than 950 Canadians die as a result of occupational incidents each year. Each one of those deaths was a wake-up call. Have these wake-up calls provoked moments of realization? Have they inspired responses that are making workplaces safer?

There are many times when it doesn’t feel as though the wake-up calls are being heard.

On a personal level, John’s widow also experienced several wake-up calls in the aftermath of her husband’s death. Maryanne Pope literally had to wake up each day with no husband. As she navigated the pain of that loss, Maryanne also realized a harsh wake-up call about her aspirations as a writer.

Maryanne did heed that wake-up call. She did act on that realization.

The result was the book A Widow’s Awakening (which was recently released in hardcover form).

All proceeds from sales of the first 1,000 copies of the book go directly to the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund and will be directed towards workplace safety initiatives that will strive to put an end to the kind of wake-up calls that have become all too familiar at Canadian work sites.

As well, those who donate $50 or more to our New Legacy fundraising campaign will receive a copy of A Widow’s Awakening.

Help us turn the wake-up calls into action.