Alderman Helene Larocque, speaks as Deputy Mayor at the International Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or injured on the job.

Wreaths are laid at the memorial at Calgary City Hall in recognition of the International Day of Mourning.

We remember those hurt and killed on the job, as we mourn our fellow workers, and fight for safer, healthier working conditions. In 2004, 800 Canadians workers died of workplace injury or disease; 124 workers were Albertans. The numbers are shamelessly rising, in 2005, 143 workers were killed because of work. The day originally marked by the Canadian Labour Congress in 1984 was nationally declared as the National Day of Mourning on Feb 1, 1991. The date, April 28, was chosen because it was the day that the first Workers Compensation Act in Canada (Ontario, 1914) received third reading.

Workers walk the downtown streets of Calgary from the WCB to the memorial at Calgary City Hall.