The National Day of Mourning, which takes place annually on April 28, commemorates workers who have been killed, injured or suffered illness due to workplace-related hazards and occupational exposures, and calls on employers and governments to do more to prevent injuries and deaths from happening on the job in the first place.
The Manitoba Federation of Labour once again was able to hold its annual march from the Union Centre the morning of Thursday, April 28, 2022, and the march was followed by a ceremony officially unveiling the new Workers Memorial, which stands at the southwest corner of Memorial Park.
This three-monument memorial honours and recognizes firefighters, peace officers and workers who have died on the job. The establishment of the memorial was a joint effort between the Workers Memorial Foundation, the Peace Officers Memorial Foundation and the Firefighters Memorial Foundation and would not have been possible without the financial support and leadership of Manitoba's unions, the Province of Manitoba and the support of families of fallen workers.
Kevin Rebeck, MFL President and chair of the Workers Memorial Foundation, stated that “this memorial will serve as a space to remember those we have lost, but also to serve as a reminder of the necessity of making workplaces safer in our province.” He also thanked the project’s architects, Scatliff Miller Murray.
MNU Staff, including LRO Deb Stewart (pictured above), attended the National Day of Mourning events. We encourage members to view it in person over the coming months and years. This new Memorial provides a physical space to reflect on those we have lost in health care and those living who continue to experience job-related health issues.