A Day That Changed Everything
Angela Light went to work like any other day. As an administrative assistant at a Bedford, Nova Scotia high school, her job was to keep things running smoothly — greeting students, handling paperwork, being the calm presence in a busy school office. Then, in 2023, a student stabbed her on the job.
Now, for the first time, Light is speaking publicly about what happened — and about the long, painful road that followed.
Breaking Her Silence
In an interview with CBC News, Light described how the attack has upended her life in ways she could never have anticipated. Beyond the physical wounds, the trauma has been relentless. She spoke of sleepless nights, anxiety, and the challenge of simply re-entering spaces that once felt ordinary.
But perhaps what has been most difficult, she said, is the fight for adequate support after the fact — a battle she says has been as exhausting as the recovery itself.
The Gaps in Workplace Protection
Light's story raises urgent questions about how Canadian schools and institutions support staff who are victims of workplace violence. While teachers and support workers face real risks every day, the systems meant to back them up — workers' compensation, mental health resources, institutional support — don't always deliver.
For Light, navigating those systems while still processing trauma has been its own ordeal. She says she hopes speaking out will push for change — not just for herself, but for the many school workers across the country who may be quietly dealing with similar situations without acknowledgment or adequate help.
A Broader Conversation
The Bedford stabbing incident drew attention in Nova Scotia when it happened, but Light's willingness to share her experience now gives it new weight. Her account is a reminder that workplace violence in schools is not just a student issue — staff members are on the front lines too, often without the same visibility or advocacy as other professions.
Unions representing educational support staff have long pushed for better safety protocols, mental health leave provisions, and clearer pathways to compensation for workers injured on the job. Light's story adds a human face to those demands.
What She Wants
Light isn't telling her story for sympathy. She's telling it because she believes the current system failed her — and she doesn't want the next person to go through the same experience alone.
She's calling for stronger protections for school administrative staff, faster access to mental health support following traumatic incidents, and greater transparency from institutions about how they handle violent events and their aftermath.
"I just want people to know what happened and what I went through trying to get help," she told CBC News.
Her courage in speaking out is a call to action — for policymakers, school boards, and the public — to take seriously the safety and wellbeing of every person who walks into a school to do their job.
Source: CBC News Nova Scotia
