PEI

Day of Mourning honours workers killed or injured on the job

The P.E.I. Federation of Labour along with a number of unions will be marking the National Day of Mourning on Sunday.

Injuries include mental as well as physical, says paramedic

A close up of a man in a construction vest holding a safety helmet.
The Day of Mourning was first recognized in Canada in 1984, and since then has been commemorated in more than 100 countries worldwide. (Shutterstock/Una Shimpraga)

The P.E.I. Federation of Labour along with a number of unions will be marking the National Day of Mourning on Sunday.

Every April 28, workers across the country gather to remember those killed or injured on the job.

Jason Woodbury, a paramedic and CUPE's national health and safety representative for P.E.I., says not all workplace injuries are physical.

"As a paramedic I know we see a wide range of injuries from our members — a lot of muscle back strains," he said.

"We also see a lot of the deeper injuries that are not really physical but they are mental injuries, for example post-traumatic stress disorder."

Gathering at Charlottetown church

Woodbury said the Day of Mourning also serves as a reminder to workers and employers about the importance of keeping workplaces safe.

The Day of Mourning was first recognized in Canada in 1984 and since then has been commemorated in more than 100 countries.

A gathering will be held at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Charlottetown Sunday at 2 p.m. to mark the day.

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With files from Angela Walker