MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- It remains the dream of the Moose Jaw and District Labour Council to see the National Day of Mourning eventually fall by the wayside.
But since people of all ages and walks of life continue to suffer fatalities and debilitating diseases due to workplace accidents and issues, the annual event continues every April 28.
For more than 40 years, the Day of Mourning has seen people across Canada gather to remember those lost simply because they decided to go to work that day, with just over a dozen supporters taking part in the event at the local labour council office on Sunday afternoon.
“We’ve lost 29 members in the last year, and we really wish those numbers would go down,” said Deidre Wilson, president of the MJDLC. “It’s tough because we all should be able to go to work and come home safe. We have families at home and we need workplaces and managers to to make sure that we all stay safe.”
According to data gathered by the Saskatchewan Worker’s Compensation Board, asbestos exposure and motor vehicle accidents were the leading cause of workplace injuries and deaths in the last year, on top of accidents and medical emergencies that saw more than two dozen people die in the province from January to December.
Nationally, close to 1,000 people died on the job, with over 300,000 workers injured or contracting illness at work, many of whom haven’t fully recovered.
Even one is too many, says the MJDLC, especially when it comes to situations that are preventable and can be dealt with simply by showing more care for workers.
“As a healthcare worker, I feel there’s a lot more safety training out there for everyone to take, and we need more people aware of the dangers in the workplace and how to avoid those dangers,” Wilson said.
The event included the reading of all 29 names of those killed on the job in 2023, in addition to various local unions and organizations laying wreaths at the cairn outside the MJDLC office.
Having that support is always important, especially when it comes to knowing that others care about workplace safety and issues surrounding it.
“Even though it’s a sombre day, it’s nice to have the support and know (that people are thinking about it),” Wilson said.
