A brief but poignant memorial service was held near the busy intersection of Fourth Street and Souris Avenue Thursday evening, April 28.
For several years now, this tip of land on the eastern edge of the Estevan Courthouse lawn, that is bedecked with a 1930's vintage coal car, has played host to the annual Day of Mourning to remember those who have lost their lives on worksites or through work-related causes.
This year a memorial wreath was placed at the base of the coal car by the Janssen family in memory of their son, brother and uncle Daryl, formerly of Benson, and Estevan who died in an oilfield industrial accident on Nov. 29, 2010 in Grande Prairie, Alberta.
Pat Garling, one of the organizers of the event, said 45 Saskatchewan workers who lost their lives in Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) recognized incidents in 2010, were being honoured at the memorial site that was erected to honour the memory of three miners who lost their lives in a riot on the streets of Estevan in 1931 during a strike that was called to fight for better working conditions at that time.
The Coal Miners Corner was dedicated in 1981 and has been the site for the annual tribute since then.
Cordell Janssen, Daryl's brother, was joined by his wife Kelly, mother Genevieve and sons Carter, Cameron and Kolby, in the laying of the wreath.
Garling, along with Bev Mitchell, read the 45 name honour roll, including the victims' cause of death.
Prior to the honour roll, Pastor Mike Horton from the Church of God provided words of prayer and encouragement for those who lost a loved one, noting that his family had lost a cousin in a work-related accident in the past year too, which drove home the importance of work place safety.
"We go to work, not to lose our lives, but to do our work and we get to go home, but 45 of our brothers and sisters didn't," said Garling, noting that death on the job is not acceptable in this time of development as a country. She noted that 110 work- related deaths had been recorded in Alberta last year along with 491 in Ontario and 29 in Manitoba.
"These are preventable accidents," she added. "We need to develop more legislature to protect employees," Garling said, adding that the 45 deaths noted on the roll were only those who were recorded by WCB and not those who were not covered under their work codes such as police and some other civil service employees.
Miniature lights, representing remembrance candles for each of the 45 lives lost, were lit by members representing a variety of local trade unions, to mark the special day.
"On April 28, our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives at work," Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan said.
The Day of Mourning is formalized by the Canadian Labour Congress and the names of those who died from workplace injury or illness are inscribed in its national registry and read into the official record in the Saskatchewan Legislature and Canadian Parliament.
