April 28th A Day of Mourning for lives of workers that have died due to workplace injuries or diseases.

I'm up early today, I took time before I got up to think of this day, April 28th. I read an article about it yesterday. The thought of this day has meant much to me as I worked in an industry that has had many deaths due to injury on the job. Some have injury that changes their lives forever, and don't die, life altering accidents. 

Always I think of how fortunate I've been to have made it out of logging and saw milling alive, with all my limbs attached, and able to walk. I'm fortunate to have be able to make it to retirement. As I age some of the accidents I've had, the effects have caused limitations, but I'm still able to walk and talk, and think. 

I know it's a day of mourning the death's of people who were working, but I think often of the amount that don't die, that are different because of a workplace injuries. I'm sure there's an account of them, but we don't see that advertised. 

Injury that changes your life, yet you still have to go on, that's a real challenge. Not discounting the death's, just thinking of how many people are still alive, yet injury effects them the rest of their lives. 

I tried to get that information, I googled how many injuries, but even pointedly asking for injuries in BC in 2025 I got this,

 "According to WorkSafeBC, there were 138 work-related deaths documented in British Columbia in 2025. This includes 79 deaths from occupational diseases (such as asbestos exposure) and 41 from traumatic injuries. While this is a decrease from 146 in 2024 and 181 in 2022, it marks 138 lives lost, say CP24."

I'm going to look a little bit more, might have to call WCB, now called WorkSafe BC and get the answer. 

I've had my experience with them, not my favorite place to deal with. Not going to repeat my experiences, just that I believe this company is not what it pretends to be. 

Today I'll stop at 11am, a moment of silence, and think. About all the times I remember listening to the calls on the radio for radio silence, ya know there's been an "accident" someone is injured. Then the talk after, about what people thought, who died. Sad days when a father isn't coming home, or a child has been injured. Ya see young men and women are someone's child too. 

So many people are effected when an accident happens, it doesn't just cripple the person, it cripples all he or she knew in some way. 

Life goes on. For the person that died it's final, for those they leave it's difficult, but final as well. Those that are injured and have to go on, that's something I'm not sure gets the attention it should, yet here we are. 

I sigh, big breath and sigh. We used to assemble at the epitaph in front of our Union Hall, I remember doing that many times. This year I'm looking on line for the assembly today, nothing posted, and our Union Hall is closed down now. I see flag's will be lowered at City Hall, but no gathering as far as I can see. 

         Momentos from a time passed

I'm thinking now I'll go down to the next best place, the Western Vancouver Island Industrial heritage society building, our old arena building. A group of volunteers meet every morning of the working week, and I'm sure some on the weekends too, have a coffee, and a talk, then go about their own job for the day. Meeting with them is closest to going to work as I get now, talkin about work mostly, people we remember, accidents we would like to forget. 

Yep, that's what I'm going to do today, coffee and a visit with friends I've made after work. 

If ya read this, take a minute at 11am, it's worth a thought. Or better yet, come to the industrial heritage building and sign up, we could always use another member. Next best thing to working. 

Sure do love our retired Life ❤️