This year’s Day of Mourning theme is “Mourn for the Dead, Fight for the Living.”
The Canadian Labour Congress first recognized the Day of Mourning in 1984. This day became a national observance in 1990 and the federal government officially proclaimed the National Day of Mourning on April 28, 1991. Today, it is recognized in more than 100 countries.
Local 793 asks members across the province to observe a moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. to remember the workers who have died, were injured, or made ill from their work.
Many virtual events are being held by Ontario labour councils and their communities.
CLICK HERE to view the 2020 Day of Mourning virtual events listing.
The Local 793 memorial garden and monument was built to honour members who died as a result of construction site accidents or due to occupational illnesses. Their names – 40 of them – are etched on the columns of this monument:
- William Henry Munroe – November 4, 1970
- Lambros Kordas – March 21, 1977
- Joe Petrik – March 21, 1977
- John W. Jr. Hunt – September 2, 1980
- Bruce Norman Higgs – February 6, 1981
- Roger Michael Sokoloski – November 2, 1984
- Gerard Drapeau – August 5, 1987
- Robert Jr. Baxter – September 25, 1987
- Lynda Baker – September 14, 1989
- Marc Roy – July 23, 1992
- Elzear Dignard – August 4, 1992
- Wallace Culp – November 16, 1993
- Charles Barton – December 20, 1994
- Robert Gerritsen – September 17, 1995
- Donald Crawley – October 6, 1995
- Earl Anness – January 17, 1996
- Ronald Girard – May 17, 1996
- Patrick Kelly – October 20, 1997
- Edward Cox – June 14, 2001
- Scott Mason – August 8, 2001
- James Clement – October 26, 2001
- Ryan Clement – October 26, 2001
- Kenneth Gardiner – January 11, 2002
- Allen Manchester – November 3, 2003
- Michael Hipson – January 23, 2006
- Kent Walker – May 15, 2006
- Donald Duncan – October 13, 2007
- Major Singh Dhadda – October 29, 2007
- Giovanni De Francesco – January 1, 2009
- Lee Antoniak – April 12, 2009
- Keith Gudmundson – January 19, 2010
- Vince De Paepe – July 3, 2011
- Patrick Gartlan – July 15, 2011
- Kyle Knox – October 11, 2011
- Maurice La Chapelle – March 9, 2012
- Renato Marchione – July 12, 2012
- Jamie Drew Davis – July 12, 2015
- Marc Normand – November 2, 2015
- Claude Joly– December 15, 2016
- Wayne H. McPhail – April 6, 2017
One more will be added later this year.
Local 793 member Eric Wheeler of Beamsville, Ontario, died on May 6, 2019 due to compensable injuries suffered in a work-related accident. He was 32 years old.
Eric was initiated into IUOE local 955 out of Alberta in June 2011 and transferred to Local 793 in March 2015. He worked for Aquatech Dewatering Company and Arlington Crane Services in 2016 and for Limen Structures in 2017.
Too many workers are still being killed or injured on construction sites. More than 1,000 Canadians lose their lives in the workplace each year, with many more work-related deaths not accounted for. A significant number of workers are not covered by workers compensation, so there are many deaths and injuries that have not been recognized as work-related.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development report from the IHSA Provincial Labour Management Committee, 16 people were killed in construction site accidents in Ontario in 2019 – down from 25 in 2018.
264 people were critically injured in construction site accidents in Ontario in 2019 – up from 255 in 2018.
The most recent statistics from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) report that in 2018, 1,027 workplace fatalities were recorded in Canada – an increase of 76 from the previous year.
Add to these fatalities the 264,438 accepted claims for lost time due to a work-related injury or disease – an increase from 251,508 the previous year.
And it’s not just these numbers on which we need to reflect. With each worker tragedy there are loved ones, family members, friends and co-workers who are directly affected, left behind, and deeply impacted – their lives also forever changed.
These deaths are a reminder that all of us – labour, employers, government and health and safety partners – must do much more to improve safety in workplaces and on construction sites in Ontario. Too many workers go to work and then don’t return home to their families.
CLICK HERE TO EXPLORE THE MONUMENT GARDEN IN 3D
