Day of Mourning

In 1984, the Canadian Labour Congress established April 28th as the National Day of Mourning in Canada to remember and honour those who have died, been injured or suffered illness in the workplace. The date was chosen in 1984 when the Canadian Labour Congress proclaimed the Day to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the day the first Ontario Worker’s Compensation Act was approved by the government (1914). The Day of Mourning was enshrined in national legislation by an Act of Parliament on February 1, 1991.

Each year, the Yukon Federation of Labour hosts a ceremony for the territory. This year’s ceremony will be held at the Yukon Worker’s Memorial in Shipyards Park, Whitehorse, Yukon.

April 28 is the day we mourn those whose lives were lost and whose lives were forever changed because of something that happened at work. It is also the day when we recommit to ensuring every worker gets to come home from work and make every workplace a safe and healthy place to earn a living. 

The Yukon Federation of Labour hosts an annual ceremony from Shipyards Park, next to the Yukon Workers Memorial.  The Yukon Workers’ Memorial was officially unveiled in 2016, taking inspiration from the flame of a candle, the 5 central pillars represent all sectors of society that have a responsibility for the safety of workers: Workers, Employers, Governance, Community, and Health Care.

Join us here for the Day of Mourning Ceremony live stream.

You can watch a video of the last Day of Mourning Ceremony held in Whitehorse, Yukon.