On any given workday in Canada, three people will die from a job-related fatality, life-altering injury or occupational disease.
Today, workers, employers and families are marking the National Day of Mourning, remembering those who have died, been injured or developed occupational illnesses due to their work.
Observed each year on April 28, the day carries deep personal meaning for families whose lives have been changed by workplace tragedy — a time to publicly express grief that is often carried privately.
“When lives change due to a workplace tragedy — whether a fatality, a life-altering injury or an occupational disease — we grieve so many losses,” said Threads of Life. “From little things like the Mother’s Day card we’ll never receive to big ones like the shared future that will never be lived — these are the million private losses that accumulate over time.”
The organization notes that while grief is felt internally, mourning is its outward expression. For many families, April 28 offers a rare opportunity to set aside that privacy and be supported by others who are also remembering.
To mark this year’s observance, Threads of Life shared video reflections from family members about what they miss most. One participant, Alex Tuff, spoke about missing the conversations he can no longer have with his brother Chris, a welder who was killed on the job in 2013, and the milestones they will never share.
Virginia Campeau remembers her husband Paul who was killed in 2015 when he was lodged in an auger inside a hopper in the back of a sand truck.
“The thing I miss most about Paul is at bedtime when he would put his arms around me so tight and I would end up falling asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.”
Terri Murphy’s son Jonathan was killed when a pickup truck backed over him on a worksite in Fort Hills, Alberta on Apr. 29, 2019.
“Jonathan was so full of life and lived life to the fullest,” she said. “I am not going to see him buy his first home or get married or have his first child.”
Ceremonies are being held across the country today, with workers observing moments of silence and gathering at memorials. Threads of Life is also hosting a virtual event, where participants are invited to light candles and share the names of those they are honouring.
Organizers say the day is not only about remembrance but also about recognizing the broader impact of workplace loss.
“It’s a Day of Mourning for all of us,” the organization said, noting that communities are diminished by the loss of what those workers would have contributed over a lifetime.
As Canadians pause today, the message is both reflective and forward-looking — to honour those affected and to reinforce the need for safer workplaces so that fewer families face similar loss in the future.
