Flags at Half-Mast to Honour National Day of Mourning

Today, April 26^th, we recognize the National Day of Mourning for Persons Killed or Injured in the Workplace, a day officially recognized nationwide on April 28^th each year. Marking the somber occasion, the official flag is flying on the community flagpole outside the Kincardine Branch of the Bruce County Library.

The Grey-Bruce Labour Council made the request and supplied the flag to recognize the national day originally declared in 1984 by the Canadian Labour Congress. The Municipality of Kincardine will fly all flags at half-mast for three days on all municipal flagstaffs in remembrance of those who have suffered work-related disability, disease, and death.

“Mourning death, injury and illness in, and as a result, of the workplace is tragically a reality and a daily occurrence across Canada,” says Dave Trumble, Bruce County’s Vice-President of the Grey-Bruce Labour Council.

“The annual Day of Mourning on April 28th of each year is the call for people in over one hundred countries to take a moment individually and collectively to pause and ‘Mourn for the dead and fight for the living.’ The Day of Mourning represents at least one day every year for each of us to reinvigorate our commitment to health, safety and exercising the rights we have in Ontario to ensure the health and safety of ourselves and our co-workers.”

Every worker has the right to return home at the end of every workday. Take time today to reflect on the safety of your own workplace practices. By working together, we can prevent worker injuries and deaths before they occur.