Day of Mourning ceremony to be held in Yarmouth

Annual event to take place April 28 at Lost to the Sea memorial

Again this year, Yarmouth is among the communities that will hold ceremonies to commemorate the Day of Mourning, an annual event honouring people who died in the workplace.

Presented by the South West Labour Group, the Yarmouth ceremony will take place Saturday, April 28, at the Lost to the Sea memorial on Water Street, and is scheduled to get underway at 11:30 a.m.

There are a number of scheduled speakers and there will be a chance too for members of the public to say a few words.

Aside from remembering people who lost their lives while working, the day also is a time to think about those who have been affected by work-related injury or illness.

This year’s speakers will include a representative of the fire service in the Pubnico area, where a house fire this past January claimed the lives of four children.

Traumatic events can have a big impact on first responders, said Marina Nixon, a nurse and one of the people involved in the Day of Mourning event in Yarmouth.

“The public will be able to speak and share their stories as well. It’s nice to do this for the community.”

— Marina Nixon

The RCMP also will be represented among the day’s speakers.

Rev. Helen Chandler of Holy Trinity Anglican Church will say a prayer and Yarmouth MLA Zach Churchill will have some remarks.

There will be a chance for people to lay carnations in memory of someone who lost their life while working.

“The public will be able to speak Laying flowers during the Day of Mourning ceremony in Yarmouth in 2017. This year’s Yarmouth ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, April 28, and the site again will be the Lost to the Sea memorial. and share their stories as well,” Nixon said. “It’s nice to do this for the community.”

Nixon is slated to perform a song as part of the Yarmouth ceremony.

The National Day of Mourning – also known as Workers’ Mourning Day – originated with the labour movement in Sud- bury, Ontario, in 1984. April 28 was picked as the day to publicly acknowledge workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths. The day is observed in over 80 countries.