Saskatchewan reflects on workplace tragedies on National Day of Mourning
Global News
National Day of Mourning aims to create awareness to prevent further workplace tragedy. WorkSafe Saskatchewan reports that 31 people were killed on the job in the province in 2021.
April 28, 2022 is recognized as National Day of Mourning across Canada. According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety the day is not only a day to remember and honour those lives lost or injured due to a workplace tragedy, but also a day to collectively renew our commitment to improve health and safety in the workplace and prevent further injuries, illnesses and deaths.
”It was nine years ago but it still feels just like yesterday. So for me I’ve been attending the day of mourning ceremonies almost every day since he passed away,” said Leea Boxall, whose father John was killed on the job.
John Boxall was killed by an impaired driver while out doing deliveries in February of 2013. In 2019, machinist Steven Brown was killed by a part that flew out of the machine he had worked with for many years according to his daughters.
”It’s hard when you lose someone in an accident whether it be a car accident or going to work and I think too because it’s hard to wrap your head around ‘goodbye, go to work dad’ and you don’t return that day,” said Alicia Webber, daughter of Steven Brown.
The national day of mourning aims to remember them and many others while creating awareness to prevent further tragedy. WorkSafe Saskatchewan reports that 31 people were killed on the job in the province in 2021.
”There’s definitely frustration for sure. Still, for me it’s a little bit of anger as well because every one of them is preventable. They are needless and especially when I think of my dad it was something that should never have happened,” said Boxall.
Her sister who works for the Regina Police Service was the first to find out about their father’s death.
”You hear about getting that knock on the door and in my case it was my sister that had to share that news with us. I can’t imagine even now what that was like for her. It’s a knock on the door that nobody ever wants, but in a split second life changed,” Boxall said with a pause.
