On Sunday, the United Steelworkers Local 480 will be commemorating workers who have been killed, injured or suffered illness due to workplace related hazards and incidents.
The Day of Mourning Ceremony begins with a free pancake breakfast, open to the public, from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., at the Local 480 hall in downtown Trail.
At 10:45 a.m., a walk of remembrance will begin at the hall, led by piper Gordon Titsworth, to the family park, across the street from the Trail Memorial Centre.
Tracy Johnson will open with a hymn of remembrance.
This year’s speakers include Katrine Conroy, MLA Kootenay West and David Mitchell from Worksafe B.C.
The mike will be open to friends or family to speak, and flowers have been donated for those wishing to place a token of remembrance on the monument, in memory of a loved one.
Since 1991, April 28 has been observed as the National Day of Mourning in Canada.
Since its inception, the purpose of the Day of Mourning is meant to remember and honour the lives lost or injured and also to renew a commitment to improving health and safety in the workplace.
According to Worksafe statistics, in B.C. last year, 143 workers died and more than 95,000 were subject to a work-related injury or illness.
Males under the age of 25 are at the highest risk for workplace injury in B.C., at a rate of almost 33 per cent higher that the overall injury rate.
Further, Worksafe statistics show that, each hour in B.C., one young worker is hurt on the job; each day 36 young workers are hurt on the job; and every week five of these workers suffer permanent injures.
The construction industry has the highest number of deaths of any industry in Canada, and accounted for 23.3 per cent of all work-place fatalities between 2008-2010.