Fallen workers remembered Friday
disaster in Nova Scotia which happened 25 years ago on May 9, 1992, or the four workers who fell to their deaths a year later while painting the Garden City Skyway.
But Hotte said many more workers have died from exposure to hazards within their workplace.
Labour groups continue to lobby to ensure that workers receive adequate education and are aware of their right to refuse unsafe working conditions, and “the laws are upheld and there are safety inspections.”
She said labour groups are becoming increasingly concerned about the mental health of workers as well, whether it’s coping with the daily strain of a busy office, or post-traumatic stress disorder related to emergency services personnel.
The first of Friday’s Day of Mourning ceremonies starts at 8 a.m. at the monument near the skyway, with events continuing at the various locations throughout the day until the last takes place at 5:30 p.m. at Niagara Region headquarters.
Although all the fallen workers monuments are located within Niagara’s eastern communities, Hotte said efforts are underway to erect additional monuments in west Niagara, too. Welland Canal Parkway in St. Catharines, near the Garden City Skyway - 8 a.m. Centennial Arena, 1557 Four Mile Creek Rd. in Niagara-on-the-Lake - 9 a.m. Niagara Falls city hall, 4310 Queen St. - 10 a.m. Fort Erie town hall, 1 Municipal Centre Dr. - 11 a.m. H.H. Knoll Lakeview Park, Port Colborne - 12:30 p.m. Merritt Park, Welland - 1:30 p.m. Esquire Canada explosion site 125 South St. N., Thorold - 2:30 p.m. St. Catharines city hall - 3:30 p.m. Niagara Region headquarters, 1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way – 5 p.m.
“Certainly there has been a bit of discussion about that. But it takes a lot of fundraising for the money to have the stone, and then work with the community to find a good place to put it up,” she said.
“The last one (monument) that we put up was installed at the Niagara Region (headquarters), but that’s not to say that we’re not looking at the other communities.”