Marina Hills and Sergio Losco say time moves differently since they lost their son Henry.
“We don’t really see the time passing,” Losco said.
“Every day it’s a new day, but for us it’s just the second day after the loss.”
It’s been about 10 months since their 11-year-old boy died due to a carbon monoxide leak after a boiler malfunction in their home at the Metro 1827 apartment building in Regina last December.
A CBC News investigation revealed carbon monoxide detectors were either dismissed or didn’t exist in parts of the building.
After Henry died, the couple began advocating for changes to regulations on CO alarms in Saskatchewan, trying to protect others despite their pain.
They were successful. On Sunday, Henry’s Law takes effect, bringing new regulations.
In May, the Saskatchewan government introduced Henry’s Law, a regulatory update requiring CO alarms in all residential suites in multi-unit buildings in the province, effective Nov. 1.
The change is an amendment to the National Building Code.
At the time, Saskatchewan Rivers MLA Eric Schmalz said the change would strengthen the province’s regulations, which already exceeded national building codes.
That means Saskatchewan will lead Canada, he said, adding that he would bring Henry’s story to his provincial counterparts.
“I don’t have a time machine. I don’t have a way to go back and change this, but we can change it now and we can prevent this from happening again in the future,” Schmalz said.
Henry’s Law is going into effect. His mom isn’t done fighting
Since then, Hills and Losco have appeared on thousands of screens across the province, speaking about Henry’s Law in a provincial government advertisement. Henry’s picture has also been displayed on billboards throughout Regina this month.
Sergio Losco, left, holds a portrait of his late son Henry, while Marina Hills, right, holds puppy Benjamin in Regina, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Their son, Henry, was killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in their Regina home last December. (Heywood Yu/The Canadian Press)
Hills said she can’t believe the reach the advertisement has had. She’s received messages and emails from people thanking the family for their work and saying they’ve bought CO alarms.
“There’s been so many people [who have] come up to us and said ‘for Henry,'” she said.
“Sergio and I had always hoped that people were going to know who Henry was, what he did, what he went through and how his parents are responding to this.”
They also want people to remember their son for who he was before his death: a kind and empathetic boy who loved soccer, school and new adventures.
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Hills described a difficult last 10 months, working through grief. Despite this, she said the family is working to keep Henry’s legacy alive.
“He would say, ‘Yeah, you go Mama.’ He believed in helping people,” she said.
She believes Henry’s story has resonated with so many families across Canada because it demonstrates what parents fear most.
“Parents love their children,” she said.
“I know that people out there can’t even fathom, can’t imagine what it would be like to lose one of their own children. And we’re telling people it’s that bad, but worse.”
Henry Losco has been described as a kind, empathetic boy who gave his love freely. He was a bright mind and always up for a new adventure. (Submitted by Marina Hills)
Hills and Losco said Henry’s Law taking effect does not mean their work is over. They continue to encourage people to install CO alarms in their homes, especially in rooms where kids sleep.
Losco said people need to be properly educated about CO alarms and how they sound when they go off, and parents should have safety talks with their children about what to do when it happens.
Sergio Losco, from left, and Marina Hills, the parents of Henry Losco, pose for a photo with Saskatchewan NDP MLAs Meara Conway and Erika Ritchie as well as Government Relations Minister Eric Schmalz. (Alexander Quon/CBC)
Hills is also reminding landlords and maintenance staff they have a responsibility to keep their residents safe, and that goes far beyond installing CO alarms in every unit.
They should be knowledgeable about CO and its dangers, and renters need to question them on it, she said.
“If the alarm sounds, maintenance needs to know what to do, needs to notify the [fire] department right away,” she said. “Don’t just dismiss it.”
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Hills and Losco said they hope the new regulation and further education can be applied across the country.
They said that if Henry’s Law protects another family, it would mean they did something right.
