Today we remember all those who were injured, became ill or passed away due to their job. Today is our national day of mourning.
This isn’t abstract to me – it hits close to home, as members of my family have worked in construction since first coming to Canada.
In 1951, my grandfather arrived here from Italy and he found work as a construction labourer on sewer and water main projects. It was backbreaking and dangerous, and there were few health and safety rules in place to protect him and his coworkers.
My grandfather was seriously injured at work and it affected him for the rest of his life.
We must do everything we can to protect our workers. They are the lifeblood of our economy. Workers and their families deserve dignity, safety and good health.
On behalf of the Ontario Liberal Party I want to express my commitment to workplace safety. Let us remember all those who were injured, all those who passed away, due to their work. And let us commit as a society to enshrining workplace safety in everything we do.