Fort St. John remembers its lost workers

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The City of Fort St. John and the BC General Employees Union (BCGEU) held a ceremony on Friday to commemorate fallen workers for the National Day of Mourning.

Mayor Lilia Hansen, councillors, BCGEU members, WorkSafe BC employees and other workers started with a march from City Hall down to the Worker’s Memorial at Centennial Park.

At Centennial Park, Milo MacDonald, chief administrative officer of the City of Fort St. John, said it’s important to honour those who have lost their lives or suffered serious injuries in the workplace.

“It’s a sobering fact that on any given workday in Canada, three people will lose their lives through job-related fatalities, life-altering injuries or occupational disease,” MacDonald said.

Last year alone, 181 work-related deaths were reported in B.C.

“On behalf of council, the City of Fort St. John and all of its staff, I urge you to take a moment to reflect and honour the lives that have been forever changed and to renew your pledge to workplace health and safety,” Macdonald said.

“Together, we can strive towards a future where every worker returns home safely.”

Budd Phillips, manager of prevention field services for WorkSafe BC, said everyone should be looking at what they can do differently to ensure workers return home to their families.

He added that the 181 lives lost in 2022 is a 20-person increase from 2021.

“Construction continues to be one of the biggest challenges in the province. We lost 53 construction workers last year,” Phillips said.

“We lost nine in forestry. We lost four healthcare workers.”

When he looked at the data, the Peace River area is number three for workplace deaths in the province, behind Vancouver and Fraser Valley.

“We lost seven workers, and the number itself has stayed fairly consistent for the last few years,” Phillips said.

Driving-related fatalities account for over half of the work-related deaths in the Peace River region, he said.

“I would say that as we have our moment of silence, I would ask you to reflect on what we can do collectively to make it better,” Phillips said.

The City of Fort St. John, BCGEU, Petronas and WorkSafe BC each laid a wreath on the Worker’s Memorial.

After a moment of silence, Mayor Hansen said the day is an opportunity to pause and reflect on the many lives lost by those “just trying to do their job.”

“Accidents happen, but some of these accidents could be preventable. Employees and employers need to work together and identify what the hazards are and take steps to remove them,” Hansen said.

“My heart goes out to the families that have lost a parent, a child, a friend.”

First recognized by the Canadian Labor Congress in 1984, the Day of Mourning was to pay tribute to those killed, injured, or who suffered an illness due to work-related incidents, WorkSafeBC said in a previous release.

In 1991, the day became a national observance with the passing of the Workers Mourning Day Act, and on April 28, 1991, the federal government officially proclaimed the National Day of Mourning.

According to WorkSafeBC, Canada was the first nation to recognize the Day of Mourning, with the Canadian flag on Parliament Hill typically being flown at half-mast.

Workers and employees observe the day in various ways, including wearing ribbons, lighting candles, and holding moments of silence.

Dawson Creek and Hudson’s Hope also held ceremonies to observe the Day of Mourning in the Peace region.