The April 28th Day of Mourning this year is not only a day of remembrance for workers that have been killed, injured and made ill in their workplaces in Canada and around the world, but a time to honour the memory of past Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Health and Safety Director Colin Lambert. Colin and colleague Ray Senates represent the catalyst for the Day of Mourning.
“If only this day was not required at all,” says Grey Bruce Labour Council President, Kevin Smith. Across Canada each year nearly one-thousand workers lose their lives in or due to workplace incidents or exposures. In addition to the fatalities are hundreds of thousands of workplace injuries and occupational illnesses. “In many case the injuries and exposures have long term and devastating effects on the worker, their families and the community,” notes Smith.
In 1983, Lambert and Senates witnessed the powerful and moving honours being paid to a fallen firefighter. Further to this, they had both been part of the United Steelworkers annual day of remembrance for miners that had succumbed to exposures while mining uranium in Elliott Lake. With this powerful motivation, Lambert and Senates set upon a mission with hopes of establishing recognition for all workers harmed or killed in doing nothing more than trying to earn a living.
The Grey Bruce Labour Council V-P for Grey County, Chris Stephen, and V-P for Bruce County, Dave Trumble, are both CUPE members and are extremely proud to say that the efforts of Lambert and Senates did ultimately result in a day that is recognized in over one-hundred countries. “In Canada this day was embraced by CUPE and the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) at their 1985 national conventions. Enshrining the day in Canada, the Parliament of Canada passed the Workers Day Mourning Act in 1990 and the International Labour Organization (ILO)) observed the day starting in 2001,” says Stephen.
“Due to this work partnerships of communities, employers, unions, labour councils and individuals take time on or very close to April 28th each year to not only remember workers that have been killed, injured or made ill, but to also recommit to safe and healthy workplaces and to caring for each other,” adds Trumble.
In Grey and Bruce County there will be ceremonies held in Chesley on April 22nd at the Community Centre at 10:30 a.m. and in Hanover at Heritage Square at 11:00 a.m. Another ceremony will be held at Bruce Power. The Chesley and Hanover ceremonies are open to everyone while the Bruce Power ceremony is held on-site and those working on the site are welcome to attend.
Colin Lambert passed away earlier this year. Kevin Smith says, “Remembering Colin and knowing how this day of remembrance and recommitment came to be is a very important part of the day. Like every aspect of progress, this day came about because workers saw the need and made it happen. Making improvements for workers, recognizing our fallen and recommitting ourselves are all unique to workers and employers and government only follow after workers have blazed the trail”.
Please take the time attend a ceremony or to take time on or near April 28th to remember and honour all those suffering adverse health effects or have been killed as result of a workplace incident or exposure.
In 2026, Grey Bruce Labour Council is celebrating 70 years of being the voice of workers in our region.
