Dozens of National Day of Mourning events being held across B.C. and Western Canada

VICTORIA – Dozens of events are being held across British Columbia and Western Canada for the National Day of Mourning on April 28.

The Day of Mourning was established as a national observance in 1991 to remember workers who either died or were injured in workplace incidents and to recommit to ensuring safety in the workplace remains an essential priority for all Canadians.

But the day’s history can be traced back to 1984 when the Canadian Labour Congress first recognized it.

In 2022, 181 workers died due to workplace injury or disease in British Columbia, according to WorkSafeBC. Seventy-four fatalities occurred due to traumatic injury and 107 due to occupational disease.

Alberta’s Workers’ Compensation Board states 161 workers lost their lives in the province in the same year. One-hundred-and- one died from occupational disease, 30 from trauma, 27 from motor vehicle accidents and three from cardiac issues.

“Canada was the first nation to recognize the Day of Mourning and, since 1984, acknowledgement of the day has spread to many countries and is now observed throughout the world,” writes WorkSafeBC.

There will be 33 in-person events held across British Columbia to commemorate the Day of Mourning with various organizations participating.

In Vancouver, people will be gathering at the Jack Poole Plaza at 10:30 a.m. on April 28. The event in Victoria will take place at 11:30 a.m. near the cenotaph at the Legislative Assembly of B.C.

A full list of events across the province can be found at https://dayofmourning.bc.ca/.

In Calgary, the Alberta Construction Safety Association is hosting a gathering at 12 p.m. at Fish Creek Park.

A Day of Mourning Hockey Tournament is taking place at the Jarome Iginla and Kinex Arena in Edmonton from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 29 hosted by the Edmonton Regional Safety Committee.

Events across Alberta can be found at https://www.youracsa.ca/news-events/day-of-mourning/ .

Steps for Life’s 2023 event in Vancouver is taking place on April 29 at the Milton Wong Plaza. Registration opens at 9 a.m. for the in-person event but walkers can still participate from their home communities and help raise funds for the families of and victims of workplace injury.

For a comprehensive list of all the Steps for Life events taking place visit https://threadsoflife.ca/get-involved/steps-for-life-walk/.