City hosting Sunday memorial service for workers killed on the job site

A memorial service to honour those whose lives have been lost while working will be held at the city’s Memorial Arboretum located in Riverside Veterans’ Memorial Park on Sunday.

Every year on April 28 memorial services are held across the country to honour the National Day of Mourning and workers who tragically lost their lives at work or have been injured during their time of work.

“It’s really taking that moment to sit back and honour all of them, and to bring that awareness,” says Karla Kochan, director of people services with the city, who says most people have an expectation they will go to work and arrive home safely at the end of the shift.

“It’s really important to take that moment and sit back and observe and reflect. That’s why I think a day like this is so important. It’s so imperative that all employers, not just the city, recognize it and make sure that all the people that come and work for us every day, that they’re in a safe environment and they get home safe.”

Kockan says the day also serves as a reminder for the importance of workplace safety and employers’ responsibility to protect workers from harm.

“It’s making sure that safety is top of mind and embedded into our culture,” says Kockan. “That we’re looking at it every day, we’re talking about it every day. Anything that’s relative to safety, that it’s in our forefront.”

Last year 165 workers in Alberta died due to work-related injuries or illnesses.

“We grieve for the 165 workers who died in 2023,” says AUPE vice-president Bonnie Gostola. “We also recognize that psychological health is increasingly at risk in today’s workplaces.”

The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. Sunday, city flags will also be flown at half mast throughout the day.