The father of a young woman in a small-plane crash in the Okanagan says the launch last week of an aviation-safety campaign inspired by the circumstances of the tragedy is 鈥渁 good start鈥� promising.鈥�

After advocating for regulatory changes for years 鈥� and even though this announcement hasn鈥檛 quelled that drive 鈥� Greg Sewell said he is hopeful the education effort will save lives.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 what I was pushing for,鈥� the South Surrey resident said Monday. 鈥淭hen I realized, education is the way to go鈥� as opposed to legislation at this time, to have a better impact on safety reform.

鈥淚f you regulate, a lot of (private pilots) aren鈥檛 listening anyway.鈥�

The three-year campaign was announced in 琉璃神社 on June 24, at the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association鈥檚 2017 Convention and Trade Show.

According to information on COPA鈥檚 website, it is 鈥渁imed at educating pilots, passengers and the general public on key areas related to safety in general aviation.鈥�

Sewell said he was advised of the campaign in February, during a meeting in Vancouver with Transport Canada officials, and was invited at that time to be part of a task force to track its progress.

Exactly how it will work has not been finalized, but its intent is to set a baseline 鈥渟o we can see, are they getting it?鈥� Sewell said. 鈥淚f they are, maybe there鈥檚 no need to regulate.鈥�

Sewell and his wife Fran have been pushing for changes since their daughter Lauren died after the private Piper Twin Comanche she was travelling in with her boyfriend crashed at the Brenda Mines site near 琉璃神社 on Aug. 13, 2012.

Smith 鈥� who was also raised on the Semiahmoo Peninsula 鈥� died on impact; Lauren, 24, suffered an unsurvivable head injury and died the next day.

The coroner told the Sewells that Lauren would have likely survived had she been wearing a shoulder harness; in a report issued in 2014, it was recommended such planes be retrofitted.

The following August, Sewell launched a website () calling on Transport Canada to act on repeated recommendations from the Transportation Safety Board and the Coroners Service, and mandate that such crafts manufactured prior to July 1978 be retrofitted.

That same month, Transport Canada officials said the change was 鈥渘ot practical鈥� and would endanger passengers.

鈥淢ost of these aircraft structures are not robust enough to support shoulder restraints in the event of a crash,鈥� a senior communications advisor told Peace Arch News by email at the time.

The harnesses are mandated only in small aircraft (with nine passenger seats or less) manufactured after Dec. 12, 1986., but have been recommended for older aircraft repeatedly over the past two decades in both TSB and coroners鈥� reports

Sewell said he believes a strongly worded email that he sent to Minister of Transport Marc Garneau in May 2016 鈥� criticizing the ministry鈥檚 inaction 鈥� was key in driving the latest announcement.

鈥淚 just ripped him a new one, because he was totally dismissive鈥� of an earlier email regarding proposed changes around shoulder harnesses, Sewell said.

Of seven suggested reforms, six 鈥渃ould鈥檝e saved (Lauren鈥檚) life, had action been taken.鈥�

In presenting his case to Transport Canada officials in February, Sewell said he set side-by-side photos of his father and Lauren 鈥� both at the same age 鈥� to drive home his point.

鈥淗e came back safe,鈥� Sewell said of his father, who flew multiple bombing missions during the Second World War.

鈥淢y daughter goes up for the first time in her life, in a small private plane, and never makes it back. Him giving his life to the service and her counting on government to have the proper safeguards in place.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to fly by the seat of your pants, then don鈥檛 be taking innocent passengers. That鈥檚 what happened to my daughter.鈥�

Sewell was in 琉璃神社 for the June 24 announcement, and told PAN he could sense his daughter鈥檚 approval.

鈥淚 find it ironic that this national campaign would be launched so close to where the accident occurred, and felt her spiritual presence during the announcement telling me, 鈥榞ood work, Dad. You never quit鈥�,鈥� he said.

Monday, Sewell noted that COPA president Bernard Gervais privately acknowledged the potential impact of the campaign 鈥� 鈥渁t the end of this campaign, her memory will have saved countless lives.鈥�