Scott Oake opens up about his son's addiction

Image | Darcy Oake and Bruce Oake

Caption: The late Bruce Oake (right) with his brother, Darcy (Darcy Oake/Facebook)

Audio | Definitely Not the Opera : CBC Sports' Scott Oake on trying to save his son from addiction

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As veteran CBC sportscaster Scott Oake reported from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a family drama was unfolding back in Canada. Scott's son, Bruce, had gone back to drugs.
When Scott returned to his hometown of Winnipeg and heard the news, he called Bruce and said enough was enough. "We're done giving you money," Scott said. "You're not getting another penny from us."

Image | Bruce Oake and Scott Oake

Caption: Bruce Oake with his dad, Scott

But the whole Oake family - Scott, his wife, Anne, and their other son, Darcy - still cared about Bruce and were willing to try just about anything possible to help him out. That's when they checked him into a long-term sober living facility in Calgary called Simon House.
But that didn't turn out to be the solution to Bruce's addiction problems, either. Scott's powerful interview with Sook-Yin is a cautionary tale for anyone who takes drugs and the families who intervene to try and help them.