British Columbia’s manufacturing and health and safety communities lost a valuable friend and ally this week with the passing of Ben Hume, past president of Sheppards Building Materials.

A founding member of the BC Safety Charter, an initiative of the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC that has evolved into today’s Executive Health and Safety Council of BC (which he later chaired), Ben was a generous advocate for investing in workplace health and safety culture.

Ben owned and operated several manufacturing companies in the course of his long career. A recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal for his service to Canada, Ben volunteered his time to chair a number of industry and safety organizations.

In recognition of his commitment to safe workplaces in our province and the safety of his own employees, Ben became the namesake and first recipient of the Ben Hume Leadership Award—which inspired the Soaring Eagle Leadership Award the Alliance still awards to an outstanding BC safety leader each year.

He will be missed greatly, but his legacy lives on.

Ben’s obituary, memorial details, and memory wall.