Day of Mourning

April 28 is the National Day of Mourning to remember workers injured, killed or afflicted with an occupational illness during the course of doing their job. Sadly, if it turns out to be an average day for workplace safety in Canada, three workers will die today.

In 2022, there were 161 workplace fatalities according to the Alberta Workers Compensation Board. National statistics are very difficult to come by, and even the provincial statistics grossly under represent the actual deaths that occur each year. Only those workers who have claims and are “on the record” with WCB show up in the statistics gathered each year.

“Hundreds more will die from under-reported illnesses and occupational diseases that go unrecognized in the compensation systems,” says the Canadian Labour Congress.

Please take the time on April 28 to remember those workers in Canada and here in Alberta that have lost their lives simply because they went to work.