Sudbury's labour community will stand together soon with workers and labour representatives everywhere in honour of the annual Day of Mourning on April 28.
That Sunday is the 40th anniversary of the first year (1984) the Canadian Labour Congress had called for a day to mark the anniversary of the first time the Ontario Worker's Compensation Act was approved by the Legislature in 1914.
This was to formally become a day to “mourn for the dead and fight for the living". The idea was immediately embraced by the labour community in Sudbury which became the first region in Canada to declare April 28 as the Day of Mourning.
In towns and cities and workplaces across Canada, people will observe a moment of silence to honour the memory of co-workers killed in the workplace or of those who died from work-related sickness.
The Day of Mourning, also known as Workers' Memorial Day, is officially recognized in about 100 countries worldwide, said the WSIB website.
The Sudbury and District Labour Council will celebrate the day by conducting a service at the Fraser Auditorium at Laurentian University at 9:30 a.m. The event is open to the public. United Steelworkers local 6500 will also conduct a service later in the day, by invitation only, at the Steelworkers hall on Brady Street
