Strathcona County firefighters are highlighting a tough truth: cancer is now the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths among Canadian firefighters. The local crew, represented by the Strathcona County Firefighters Association Local 2461, joined hundreds of others at the 12th annual Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge in Calgary on June 14, 2026, to raise funds and awareness for those fighting the disease.
At Brookfield Place, firefighters climbed 57 stories in full gear, tackling 1,370 steps. The event supports Wellspring Alberta, which provides free cancer support programs to anyone diagnosed, along with their caregivers and families. A portion of the money raised also goes to the Firefighters Assistance Charitable Society, offering peer support and mental health resources to firefighters and their families.
About 94 per cent of professional firefighter line-of-duty deaths in Canada are now from occupational cancers, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters. Alberta recognizes 20 cancers as job-related under its Firefighters’ Primary Site Cancer Regulation, including pancreatic, thyroid, mesothelioma and soft tissue sarcoma cancers added in 2023. The long-term exposure to heat, toxic smoke and carcinogens from burning household materials puts firefighters at higher risk.
The stairclimb was founded in 2014 by Kathy Blas in memory of her brother Gord Paul, a Calgary firefighter who died from occupational cancer. Strathcona County’s 179 firefighters and paramedics serve about 98,000 residents in Sherwood Park and surrounding areas, and their climb aims to turn that heavy toll into hope for families facing a cancer diagnosis.
