La Loche shooting victim Adam Wood remembered as passionate teacher

Adam Wood was an adventurer, had a passion for life, and would often make you laugh until your stomach hurt.

He was always up for a good challenge and lived each day joyously, his family said in an email statement Saturday.

Wood, an Uxbridge native, has been identified as one of four people tragically killed during a school shooting in a remote town of La Loche, Saskatchewan on Friday.

A teacher’s aide named Marie Janvier and two brothers who attened the school, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, were also killed during the shooting that day in La Loche.

“I can’t think of a person who deserved to live more than him … I honestly can’t. He was a person that had faith, drive and [was] adventurous,” said Jeff Jackson.

Jackson said he knew Wood for years in the close-knit community of Uxbridge and that he had been one of his employees for three years at a local restaurant he owns.

“I just loved working with him, everybody loved working with him,” Jackson recalls. “Everybody in this town knows who Adam Wood is and they know who the Wood family is— they are just great people.”

Jackson said he was lucky to have him as an employee.

Wood had a plan for life and Jackson said he knew teaching was part of it.

From working as a camp counsellor and moving to Thunder Bay to working on a farm in Saskatchewan, he loved being different and always found a way to make everyone laugh.

“He’s a person the world needs, I am telling you,” Jackson said. “So accepting of everybody.”

Wood began his teaching career in La Loche last September.

“I can see him being a fantastic teacher, the way he would be able to communicate with people,” Jackson said.

Jackson said he plans to name a scholarship for employees at his restaurant in Wood’s name.

To him, his employees are his family.

“I want him to be remembered for all the great things he did, his personality affected all those around him,” he said.

Jackson said the Uxbridge community will be organizing something for Wood because the family was such a big part of the community’s Baptist church.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the other victims, the community of La Loche and everyone who is affected by this tragedy,” said the Wood family in their statement.

Jackson said that he will always remember Wood as the Christmas card Santa.

“We are talking about a guy who would spend hours, probably spent four to five hours on Christmas Eve taking Christmas cards to all of his friends and personally delivering Christmas cards,” said Jackson. “That’s who this guy was.”

And it wasn’t just Jackson who would receive a card. Wood would go all around Uxbridge delivering cards when everyone was sleeping.

“If there was a mailbox he would put it there, if not he would put it in front of the door so that you couldn’t miss it,” he said.

Jackson grew used to getting his card. It would always be there on Christmas morning, sitting on his doorstep, because Wood did it every year when he lived in Uxbridge.

“[It was] always something goofy, that would make you laugh,” he said. “That is just the type of person he is.”