April 28th marks the 26th National Day of Mourning - a day to remember and mourn those who have been killed or injured on the job. Hundreds of events are taking place across the country to observe the day, including the following in Winnipeg.
Downtown Walk and Ceremony
A noon hour ceremony organized by SAFE Workers of Tomorrow took place today. Workers, representatives from labour, government and students walked from the Union Centre at Broadway and Smith, along Broadway to the Legislature distributing tags to members of the public to remind them of the need for safe workplaces.
At 12:15 pm, a news conference was held on the second floor of the Legislature to recognize the significance of the day and to expand on the theme "SAFETY IN THE FOUR DIRECTIONS", acknowledging Manitoba's strong indigenous culture.
Students from each of four directions of the province created minute long videos, in which they discussed workplace safety and health in their community using the teachings of the four directions of the medicine wheel. These videos were presented during the news conference. Students from Steinbach Regional School, Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Resource Centre (Norway House), Carman Collegiate and Crocus Plains Regional Secondary (Brandon) were in attendance.
Evening Memorial Service and Candlelight Vigil
The Manitoba Federation of Labour and the Winnipeg Labour Choir are hosting a Day of Mourning service and candlelight Vigil. The service begins at 6pm on April 28th in Room 2C of the Union Centre, 275 Broadway, in Winnipeg. Everyone is welcome to attend.
The Origins of the National Day of Mourning
The Day of Mourning was first observed in 1984 by the Canadian Labour Congress. It is a day set aside to remember and mourn for workers who have been killed or injured in our workplaces.
On December 28, 1990, the Parliament of Canada passed a private members Bill, sponsored by Churchill NDP MP Rod Murphy, officially declaring that day a national Day of Mourning. It was first held under that status on April 28, 1991.
Since then, the Day of Mourning has spread to more than 80 countries around the world and has been officially adopted by the AFL-CIO and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.