Day of Mourning April 28: Honouring lives forever changed
Day of Mourning is becoming more and more recognized in Canada, with many companies and communities hosting events to honour and remember those whose lives have been changed forever by a workplace tragedy. Estella Hickey is one of those who mourns on April 28 - as she does every day of the year. Estella's son Kyle was killed in an explosion at the car dealership where he was working. Estella shared her story as part of the Nova Scotia WCB's annual Day of Mourning campaign, and she'll be one of ten Threads of Life volunteer speakers at Day of Mourning events across Canada. A death on the job affects the family profoundly, as Estella describes. But it also affects co-workers, employers, first responders, friends, community and beyond. On April 28, attend a ceremony, light a candle or pause a moment and think of those whose lives will never be back to "normal". And then remember that the very best way to honour all these lives is to prevent future workplace tragedies.
Feel like you need some fresh air? Spring is a great time to get out for a walk - especially if you can support workplace health and safety at the same time! Steps for Life - Walking for Families of Workplace Tragedy events take place this spring in communities across Canada -
check the website to find your local walk.
Participating in Steps for Life is a chance to spread the word about the importance of health and safety in the workplace. It's also the signature fundraiser for Threads of Life, helping to keep services running for families affected by workplace fatalities, life-altering injuries and occupational disease.
Register online, or if you can't be there in person, make a donation to support one of the walkers or teams in your community. With your help, we can make Canada's workplaces safer, and create hope for those affected by workplace tragedies.
Are you a volunteer for Threads of Life? Some pretty amazing people are, and we make a point of recognizing them during national Volunteer Week each April. Threads of Life volunteers provide peer support to families after a workplace tragedy, share their stories for healing and prevention, help plan events like our Steps for Life walks, and raise funds so we can continue our work. Read what a few of our staff people said about the volunteers they get to work with - see if you can find the words "lifeline", "exceptional", "generous", "passion", "strength" and "heart".
Eleven committed Canadian companies are demonstrating their leadership in health and safety by sponsoring Canada's premier national health and safety event, Steps for Life.
"Through their support, these companies will help bring healing to families struggling with the effects of workplace tragedy, and help to build safer workplaces right across the country," said Shirley Hickman, Executive Director for Threads of Life.
The national sponsors are joined by hundreds of companies sponsoring walks at the community and regional level. These firms' commitment means more families will have access to Threads of Life's programs and services, which help them to heal and develop healthy coping skills to deal with the devastating changes brought by workplace tragedy. Thank you to every one of our sponsors, national, regional and local - we couldn't do it without you!
