Wellspring’s 11th annual Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge takes place at Brookfield Place in Calgary on Sunday. The climb is held inside Calgary’s tallest tower, with more than 80 fire departments expected to participate, including crews from Airdrie, Calgary, Crossfield, Carstairs, Cochrane, Beiseker, Didsbury and Rocky View County.
Participants will ascend 57 storeys—1,370 steps—all in the name of cancer support. Since 2015, the Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge has raised more than $2.5 million. Participants have hailed from across Canada and the U.S., as well as Australia, New Zealand and Denmark.
The challenge was inspired by the Seattle-based Scott Firefighter Stairclimb, though in Calgary, it was founded by Kathy Blas in memory of her brother, Gord Paul, a Calgary firefighter who died from cancer.
"It was his sister Kathy that took this as a way to honour his passing, but also to bring light to the issue of cancer as it relates to firefighters," said Joanne Aime, CEO of Wellspring Alberta.
Wellspring Alberta also states that a portion of event proceeds to support the Firefighters Assistance Charitable Society (FACS), "whose mission is to empower and strengthen the firefighter by enhancing the success and resilience of the firefighter community."
Aime said the event has expanded far beyond its Alberta roots.
"In particular, this year, we have someone coming in from Germany."
Aime added that participation targets have already been hit.
"We’ve closed participation," she said. "We’ll take that as being sold out for sure."
"One in two Albertans will develop cancer in their lifetime," Aime said. "We have 60 Albertans that will hear the words ‘you have cancer’ every day."
Occupational cost: 'We hear that word every day'
In an emailed statement to DiscoverAirdrie, Alberta’s Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) confirmed it had accepted 25 claims from firefighters with cancers covered under the province’s Firefighters’ Primary Site Cancer Regulation between 2023 and the present.
The board said it could not release the exact number of denied claims, citing privacy protections for cases under five, but confirmed fewer than five were denied.
"I think upwards of 80 per cent plus of our line-of-duty deaths now are caused by an occupational cancer, and those are the ones that are covered by the various workers' compensation boards across Canada," said Jamie Blayney, president of the Calgary Firefighters Association.
"The loss of members to cancer are exponentially more than what we lose with what we call a traumatic line-of-duty death, which is one that happens on a call," he said.
Blayney, who has served as an active firefighter for two decades and as president of the association for more than a decade, said the issue is deeply personal.
"We hear that word [cancer] every day," he said. "We’re always dealing with members that have either just been diagnosed or are going through treatment. We also work with the families of members that have passed away because of an occupational cancer."
Provincial recognition: Government of Alberta regulations
The Government of Alberta recognizes 20 site-specific cancers as occupationally linked under its presumptive regulation for firefighters who are regularly exposed to the hazards of a fire scene, including volunteer firefighters. The regulation lists minimum exposure periods for each cancer—ranging from five years for leukemia to 25 years for esophageal cancer—defined as regular exposure to the hazards of a fire scene.
National and international data: 'Known human carcinogen'
In June 2022, the International Agency for Research on Cancer officially classified firefighting as a known human carcinogen.
According to the Government of Canada, firefighters face a nine per cent higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer, and a 14 per cent higher risk of dying from cancer, than the general population. Between 2005 and 2016, 86 per cent of occupational fatality claims for Canadian firefighters were linked to cancer.
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), a labour union representing paid full-time firefighters and emergency medical services personnel in the United States and Canada, reports that in 2023, 72 per cent of IAFF member line-of-duty deaths were due to occupational cancer.
"In Canada, where most provinces and territories have robust presumptive laws, close to 94 per cent of line-of-duty deaths among professional fire fighters are the result of occupational cancers," the union states on its website.
"Cancer is an epidemic in the fire service," Blayney said.
PFAS concerns: 'It can't come soon enough'
According to the IAFF, firefighter turnout gear can contain PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as "forever chemicals".
"PFAS are used as a durable water repellent (DWR) finish/coating applied to provide water and oil repellency in accordance with National Fire Protection Association’s 1971 Standards. It is a major component of the moisture barrier within turnout gear," The IAFF notes on its website.
However, the union has also warned that these chemicals "pose an unnecessary – and serious – occupational threat." The IAFF notes that "these studies highlight the risks associated with the materials and finishes used in turnout gear even before it is exposed to its first fire."
The U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry reports that some human studies suggest possible links between certain PFAS and health concerns such as fertility issues, pregnancy-induced hypertension, elevated cholesterol, immune system changes, increased risk of testicular and kidney cancer, developmental effects in children, liver damage, thyroid disease, and asthma. However, the overall scientific and medical evidence remains inconclusive, and further research is needed.
In December 2023, Wellspring Alberta issued guidance for the stairclimb: all participants would wear modified gear rather than full turnout gear, in response to the potential risks.
"The PFAS issue... It is a fairly new issue in our industry, we need to be better with it. We need to be proactive," Blayney said. "Me, personally, I don't wear my gear unless I'm on a call. Previously, you would see firefighters in the community at events wearing their turnout gear... and that's starting to go away."
"There are a couple departments in Canada that have gone to PFAS-free gear. Calgary is not one of them yet, although I know the department is looking hard into it. But for me, it can't come soon enough."
In October 2024, Vancouver became the first city in North America to receive PFAS-free turnout gear, beginning a full transition across its fire department. IAFF Local 18 confirmed all 900 firefighters would receive one set of PFAS-free gear by early this year.
"It shows that our fire chief and mayor truly care about our health by reducing our exposure to carcinogens and helping to lower our risk of cancer,” said union president Katrina Davison in a media release. “It means we can spend less time worrying about the gear we wear and more time focusing on meeting the increasingly challenging needs of our city."
Climbing for someone: 'Every one of them has been affected'
Blayney said the stairclimb’s emotional weight can’t be separated from its physical demands.
"I think every firefighter climbing the tower has been affected by cancer, either with a co-worker being diagnosed with it, or know[ing] of a captain in their career that's passed away from an occupational cancer," he said.
"Every one of the more than 500 firefighters climbing has a personal attachment to somebody in their career that's been either, you know, diagnosed in treatment or is passed away from cancer."
"The awareness is amazing, and I think we need that," he said. "We need that show of support for firefighters and our members that are dealing with cancer," Blayney added. "I think we need to move the needle, and we are. Nothing's going to change overnight… but we have to hold people accountable for our health and safety."
At the Police Officers and Firefighters Tribute Plaza outside Calgary’s Municipal Building, 77 fallen Calgary firefighters are now commemorated—nine who died during active firefighting and 63 from illnesses related to firefighting. The Honour Guard added Senior Firefighter Billy B. Stewart to the memorial in 2024. Stewart died due to an occupational illness.
The Wellspring message
"We heard Kathy, the founder, speak about this yesterday," Aime said. "She was told back in 2015 that an event like this would probably dwindle away after two or three years. So the fact that this is our 11th is fantastic."
"What I love about it, it’s a sense of community," she said. "That is exactly what Wellspring is, and that’s what we hope to really—as a message—is we’re a community that you can come to. Our vision is no one has to face cancer alone."
"And that’s what we are. We’re not a spa, right? Wellspring Alberta. We are a serious community that wants to help anyone touched with cancer."
Wellspring Alberta is a registered charity offering a range of free programs for cancer patients and their families designed to provide connection and belonging; ease pain, fatigue and distress; build strength and mobility; and support financial and workplace challenges. In Alberta, Wellspring is the only organization that devotes itself exclusively to the unique non-medical needs cancer patients face. Wellspring Alberta programs are available online, over the phone and in-person—meeting people where they are or where they feel most comfortable.
Aime said Wellspring offers more than 70 non-medical support programs province-wide, including therapeutic arts, educational workshops, peer groups, exercise programs, and workplace guidance.
"I do think there’s a gap, and I think you can't put a paintbrush across it," Aime said. "Culturally, different cultures talk about or don't talk about a cancer diagnosis. And that's one of our goals... reaching underserved populations."
"I think there's a lot of things that people may not be aware of—of how they can help themselves or help their loved ones in the cancer journey. And I think the more we get the word out, the more everyone wins—including the medical system."
"Wellspring Alberta is here," she added. "We're here for all of Alberta. And come discover us."
Why they keep doing it
When asked why he continues working as a firefighter despite the known risks, Blayney didn’t hesitate.
"We do get asked this quite a bit; we do enjoy what we do," he said. "We enjoy helping the community. We enjoy being there for our brothers and sisters and helping them through it."
"That's part of our education piece to ourselves - is [to] lower the risk, so we're not faced with an occupational disease later in our life."
"But there's no one answer that encapsulates all of the reasons why we do it," he said. "We want to get back in the fire hall, and we want to continue to help."
There are an estimated 126,000 firefighters in Canada, of whom 71 per cent are volunteers, according to the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs.
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