ESTEVAN - The National Day of Mourning for those who killed, injured or stricken with illness in the workplace was observed Thursday in Estevan.
The United Mine Workers of America Local 7606 organized the service at the coal car adjacent to the Estevan Courthouse. The names of 31 people from Saskatchewan who died from workplace-related incidents or illnesses were read off.
A candle was lit for each of the victims.
Two of the names had connections to Estevan. One was Estevan Police Service Const. Jay Pierson, who died in March 2022 from a heart attack at the age of 49. The other was former Estevan resident Larry Pangborn, a volunteer/paid on-call firefighter in Lampman and Estevan who died in Alberta in September at age 74 from what was described as “firefighter cancer".
Other causes of death for those who died on the job or from workplace illnesses last year in Saskatchewan were asbestos exposure, motor vehicle accidents, COVID-19, impact with a flying object, paraplegic and respiratory disease.
The Day of Mourning is observed across Canada on April 28 each year.
This marked the first time in three years that an in-person service has been held in Estevan. Last year a virtual ceremony was held with the names being read out.
