Mayor Nancy Peckford issued the following statement to mark the National Day of Mourning on April 28, 2025:

Today, the Municipality of North Grenville joins communities across Canada in marking the National Day of Mourning, a solemn day to honour workers who have lost their lives, been injured, or become ill as a result of workplace incidents.

As recently as 2023, the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) reported 1,081 workplace fatalities across the country. Tragically, this included 36 young workers aged 15 to 24. There were also over 372,000 accepted claims for time lost due to work-related injuries or illnesses, more than 41,000 of which involved young people. These figures are a stark reminder of the risks many Canadians face on the job every day.

While these numbers are sobering, they only tell part of the story. Behind each statistic is a family, a community, and a workplace forever changed.

Canada has officially recognized the National Day of Mourning since 1991. Over the years, it has grown into an International Day of Reflection, remembrance, and a call to action for safer working conditions around the world.

Here in North Grenville, we pause to remember those we’ve lost, and we re-commit to ensuring that safety remains a top priority in every workplace.

On April 28th, flags at all municipal buildings will be lowered to half-mast in remembrance. We encourage residents and municipal staff to observe a moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. to reflect on the importance of preventing future workplace tragedies.

Let us honour the memory of those impacted by continuing to build a culture of safety, responsibility, and care in every workplace.