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The new AED SaveStation cabinet at Gus Wetter School in Castor, Alberta. On the back, a photo of seven-year-old Emily Lougheed, who passed away from sudden cardiac arrest in 2020. (Image Credit: Supplied)
By Josh Hall
sudden cardiac arrest

AED installed at Castor school in memory of late 7-year-old

Jun 4, 2026 | 4:54 PM

Gus Wetter School in Castor, Alberta is now the proud home of a 24/7 publicly accessible SaveStation AED cabinet.

AED stands for Automated External Defibrillator, and one could save your life in the case of a sudden cardiac arrest.

The one in Castor, in east-central Alberta, is the eighth donated by Action First Aid in the County of Paintearth — east of Red Deer.

The contribution to the community came in response to a local push for one to be installed, which was started by Leanne and Mike Lougheed, whose daughter Emily died suddenly from sudden cardiac arrest at the age of seven, with no prior warning signs.

Emily attended Gus Wetter, and passed in August 2020 after collapsing at the beach, Leanne shared.

She added that an AED had actually been used that day, but it had no effect because Emily had lost a pulse.

“A part of our healing is making sure everyone has access to an AED,” Emily’s mom said at an unveiling event.

“Emily always had a smile on her face and a giggle in her voice. This is how we keep her legacy alive.”

Leanne added that since Emily’s death, it’s been her and her husband’s mission to advocate for AEDs to be accessible in rural communities.

SaveStation clarifies that sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is not the same as having a heart attack.

SCA is when the heart suddenly stops beating due to an electrical malfunction — most commonly a dangerous rhythm called ventricular fibrillation. The heart quivers instead of pumping, cutting off oxygen to the brain and body. Without immediate intervention, SCA is almost always fatal, they noted.

An estimated 60,000 instances of SCA occur in Canada yearly, or one every nine minutes.

Just one out of every 10 out-of-hospital victims survive, and it takes just four minutes for brain damage to occur without CPR.

If you come across a SaveStation, know this:

“SaveStation® cabinets are weather-resistant, heated/ventilated, and alarmed, keeping an AED publicly accessible outdoors around the clock. Opening the cabinet triggers an alert to emergency contacts, while the AED itself guides users through each step with voice prompts and visual diagrams, delivering a shock only if one is needed.”

And if there’s a cardiac emergency, call 911, start CPR, and send someone to retrieve the AED.

Other SaveStation AED locations in Paintearth County include: the Elks Building at Castor Golf Course, Castor Town Office, Theresetta School, Coronation School, Quality Fitness Studio, and there are two at the Huberdam & Burma Campground.

A full listing of registered AEDs around Alberta can be found here.

by Josh Hall