UPDATED August 12, 2007
Report from the Sixth Annual
Provincial Day of Mourning Ceremony
On Saturday April 28, the PEI Federation of
Labour and its affiliates in conjunction with the Workers
Compensation Board and the provincial government held our
Sixth Annual Provincial Day of Mourning for Workers Killed and
Injured on the Job Ceremony at Province House in Charlottetown.
Approximately 130 people attended this year’s event.
The
solemn event started inside Province House with O Canada sung by
Charlene MacInnis (Injured Workers Organizational Committee) followed
next by the Invocation which was performed by Rev. Jean Ward of the
Cornwall United Church. In addition to giving this year's Invocation,
Rev. Ward spoke on the way that her family has been directly affected
by workplace accidents as her cousin died and her father was seriously
injured in separate accidents while on the job.
Next
Federation President Carl Pursey spoke on the theme for this year’s
ceremony “Safe and Healthy Workplaces for All Workers.” Followed by
Provincial Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs Elmer MacFadyen
who spoke to those in attendance on behalf of the Province. Next
Charlene MacInnis spoke on behalf of injured workers on PEI. And
finally in recognition of the 40th Anniversary of the sinking of the
Iceland II in which 10 lives were loss, Leo Cheverie (CUPE) read a poem
in memory of those lost.
Then
everyone
moved outside and down to in front of the Day of Mourning Monument for
the wreath and rose laying ceremony as Michael Carey played a song on
his Uilleann Pipes. Vaughan Davies (PSAC) acted as emcee for this
ceremony. This year, there were 18 wreathes and approximately
48 roses laid in memory of Islanders who have lost their lives on
the job here on PEI including the ones laid in
memory of Claude ”Dolph” Scully and Kenneth Duffenais who died in
separate workplace accidents earlier this year.
The
Federation would like to thank all the speakers, all of the members of
our Executive Council, and everyone else who put so much effort and
hard work into this year’s ceremony .
Photos
from the 2007 Day of Mourning Ceremony
Press Release In Advance of the
Federation's Sixth Annual Provincial Day of Mourning Ceremony
Federation President Carl
Pursey's Speech on this Year's Theme
Program From Ceremony
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