Residents of Peterborough gathered at City Hall to watch as the Day of Mourning flag was raised to full mast to commemorate the 37th annual day dedicated to remembering workers lost due to unsafe working conditions.
“Peterborough has a reputation of being a hard-working town, and this community has experienced accidents, fires, falls, and deaths.” President of the Peterborough & District Labour Council, Dave Warda, explained at the opening ceremony, “For all the advancements we’ve made on occupational health and safety, we’re still falling short.”
The National Day of Mourning gives communities in the country a chance to remember those who’ve died because of unsafe working conditions, but also aims to spread awareness of unsafe work environments, and hold health and safety teams accountable for heightening safety standards.
Director at the Workers Health & Safety Centre, Tina MacPhearson, explained that the Ontario’s Workplace and Insurance Board only filed 200 death claims in the most recent 2022, although an estimated 2,000 were killed on job sites.
“Many [union] members don’t speak up about workplace hazards, either because they fear reprisals or believe nothing can or will be done about conditions.” Tina explained, “We all know the status quo doesn’t work for working people.”
(Written by: Noah Lorusso)
