On April 28th of each year, we remember those who have paid the ultimate price in their respective lines of duty. The National Day of Mourning is when we honour workers who have been killed, injured, or suffered illness due to workplace related hazards and occupational exposure.
Workplace injuries and death are fully preventable. Local 793 continuously lobbies for improved training, licensing, and standardization in the construction industry so we can work in a safer, healthier environment and eliminate workplace accidents and fatalities.
While we mourn for the people we have lost, we must also remember their friends, families and loved ones.
On this day, we remember the life of Local 793 member James DeMarco. He passed away on Thursday, June 3, 2021 at the age of 66.
James, known to most as Jim, was a heavy-duty mechanic for five years at the Baffinland Iron Mines in Nunavut. Jim contracted COVID-19 following an outbreak at the mine in April 2021. He was hospitalized only for a few days before passing from the virus.
Local 793 proudly represents the safety of thousands of workers and the fight for their right to a safe workplace environment. As much as we use this day to mourn for the dead, we must strengthen our resolve to protect what we currently have and continue to raise the standards for occupational health and safety.
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 – 45 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
John Aarts – February 8, 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
Eric Wheeler – May 6, 2019
Sylvio Paquette – July 10, 2019
Cody Proulx – February 24, 2021
James DiMarco – June 3, 2021