Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Day of Mourning

Take a moment this April 28 to bow your head and remember those who have been affected by an injury, an illness, or a death at work

Newsletters Manitoba Local 152

By Ryan Shand, Local 152 Board Member

I am a journeyman pipefitter/plumber and a member of the Local 152 Board. In my experience, the International Day of Mourning has not been respected. April 28 has been the Canadian date chosen for people in the workplace to recognize not just fatalities that have happened at a workplace but injuries and illnesses too.

Many of us have witnessed injuries and illnesses or have been victims of them. I personally have been on site when one of our coworkers passed away. I have had several injuries, some of which sidelined me for many months.

Going back a couple generations, my grandfather fought in World War Two, was shot down, survived the plane crash, survived the prisoner camp, and survived the war. He made his way from Scotland to Canada, joined the trades, and fell from the top of a faulty scaffold and became paraplegic. He was in a wheelchair the rest of life.

As a leader in the field, it feels like there is always some way to prevent most injuries. So when an injury happens, sometimes you feel responsible. But sometimes there is nothing you could have done.

Some workplaces observe the Day of Mourning differently. But I have been on sites when the moment of silence approached, and coworkers didn't even put down their tools. Some would stop their task but took the moment as a break and joked around.

On April 28, at 11:00 a.m., I will bow my head and remember my team members and my family members who have been affected by an injury, an illness, or a death at work.

Day of Mourning

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