City of Powell River has proclaimed April 28 as the National Day of Mourning, but this year, because of physical distancing and gathering regulations, there will be no ceremony at the workers’ memorial at Powell River Regional Cemetery in Cranberry.
At the April 16 city council meeting, councillor Rob Southcott read a statement from Martha Higgins, co-chair of the health and safety committee for CUPE Local 798, as well as co-chair of the city’s corporate joint health and safety committee. Higgins did not attend the council meeting, stating she was maintaining her physical distance and had asked that the statement be read on her behalf.
In her statement, Higgins said every year about this time, she comes before council to talk about the National Day of Mourning. She stated that this is the day that honours workers who have been killed, hurt, disabled or made sick while on the job, and those who have lost their lives due to occupational disease.
“This day of mourning offers us an opportunity to stand together with the world’s workers to remember those who have died on the job and to reflect on what needs to be done to prevent more deaths and injuries so that we can enjoy the right to go to work and go home at the end of each shift in the same condition we arrived in,” stated Higgins. “The laws and regulations we have today are written in the blood of those that have gone before us. We must never forget that. And we can carry on the fight by continuously striving to make workplaces healthier and safer, by ensuring we all do what we can to prevent deaths, injuries and illnesses, both mental and physical.
“A lot of emphasis is put on the safety side of things, but worker health also needs to be taken care of. A lot of progress has been made but there is still a long way to go.”
Higgins stated that WorkSafeBC reported in 2019 that there were 140 work-related deaths, two of which were young workers, and 84 from occupational diseases, with 60 resulting from asbestos exposure. She added that there were more than 3.2 million lost days of work as a result of workplace injury and illness.
“These numbers only scratch the surface of the true impact of these workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths; they do not tell the story of the families, friends, workplaces and communities that are affected in the moment and the years to follow,” stated Higgins. “Now, more than ever, it is important to realize the significance of workplace health and safety, and remember that it is more than just a policy and procedure binder on a shelf. It has to be an integrated part of the way we work.”
Higgins stated that on April 28, solidarity and commitment to workplace health and safety is reaffirmed.
“With that, I would like to ask that April 28 be proclaimed as the National Day of Mourning,” stated Higgins, “that the day of mourning flag be flown, and that all city flags are flown at half-mast on that day.”
