Broadcaster Scott Oake hopes his advocacy can spare other families the pain of drug addiction
Scott Oake, a well-known broadcaster with Hockey Night in Canada and CBC Sports, tragically lost his son Bruce to drug addiction in 2011. This devastating loss led Scott and his wife Anne to start the Bruce Oake Memorial Foundation, with the goal of helping families avoid the same heartbreak they experienced. They raised funds to build a treatment centre in Winnipeg for men struggling with addiction, which opened in 2021.
The couple has also broken ground on a second recovery centre in Winnipeg, this time for women, named after Anne who passed away shortly after the first centre opened. Scott Oake’s ultimate goal is to provide a “made-in-Manitoba solution” for families dealing with addiction and ensure that they don’t have to seek treatment outside of the province.
Despite the pain of losing his son, Scott Oake finds solace in knowing that the recovery centre has saved “hundreds of lives” since its opening. In his new book “For the Love of a Son,” he shares the story of Bruce’s journey through addiction and the impact it had on their family.
Bruce Oake was described as a precocious child who grew into an argumentative teenager with ADHD, leading him down the path of drug abuse and addiction. His descent into addiction started with weed in high school, followed by ecstasy, crystal meth, and eventually heroin.
As a father, Scott Oake struggled to come to terms with his son’s addiction and did everything possible to help him. Despite multiple attempts at treatment, including a private recovery facility in Toronto, Bruce’s addiction continued to spiral out of control. Scott and Anne faced moments of frustration and despair as they witnessed their son’s struggles with addiction.
The turning point came when Bruce was kicked out of a recovery centre in Calgary, marking the beginning of the end. Despite their hopes for his recovery, Bruce’s discouragement led to his tragic death just four days later. The loss was devastating for the Oake family, leaving them with a profound sense of grief and emptiness.
Through their foundation and the creation of the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre, Scott Oake is working to dispel the stigma surrounding addiction and raise awareness about its nature as a chronic brain disorder. He believes that by treating addiction as a disease rather than a moral failing, progress can be made in addressing this widespread issue in society.
Scott Oake’s mission is to provide support and resources for individuals struggling with addiction, giving them a chance to reclaim their lives and overcome the challenges they face. The Bruce Oake Recovery Centre stands as a testament to his dedication to helping others in honor of his son Bruce and wife Anne.
