Sarnia's mayor says it's ironic there is no ceremony marking the 28th National Day of Mourning at a time when workplace safety is more crucial than ever.
Mike Bradley said the flag at city hall is at half-mast Tuesday in recognition of those who have been killed, injured or made ill on the job.
He told Sue Storr on CHOK (103.9 FM, 1070 AM) that hundreds have attended the local service in the past but obviously it can't be held this year because of the pandemic.
"I think it's ironic that the ceremony is cancelled for the first time since it started and it's this time in our history, as a community and as a country, never have people needed to be protected more in the workplace," said Bradley. "There are stories every day about people with personal protective equipment and the lack of it or the way it's being used or it's not satisfactory. So, this is really a monumental day that we have thousands of Canadians from coast to coast, who are in the workplace dealing with people with COVID, and trying to limit that exposure to those people, so they don't get an illness that could end their lives."
The National Day of Mourning was first held in 1991 to recognize the victims of the devastating Westray coal mine explosion in Nova Scotia.
In 2018, the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada said there were 1,027 workplace fatalities recorded across the country, up 76 from 2017.
-With files from Dave Dentinger
