Firefighters, police, paramedics, city workers and local politicians, union and non-union employees stood together Friday to honour and remember those who lost their lives to work-related incidents or occupational disease.
Salmon Arm’s Day of Mourning was held at 11 a.m. on April 26 at Marine Peace Park. It was one of numerous ceremonies being held across B.C. and the country this weekend.
In 2018, 131 B.C. workers were reported to have died from a workplace injury or disease. In 2017, there were 951 workplace fatalities recorded across the country, while there were 251,508 claims for lost time due to work-related injuries or disease.
Guest speakers, including Salmon Arm Mayor Alan Harrison, CUPE Local 1908 President Kevin Hansen, Salmon Arm Fire Chief Brad Shirley and RCMP Sgt. Scott Lachapelle touched on not only these grim statistics, but also how a workplace death impacts family, friends and the community.
“We continue to strive to make our workplaces safer. This commitment really takes all of us, employers, workers and the public,” commented Hansen.
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