'1 death is too many': Mourners gather Sunday to honour 165 Albertans killed at work last year

Wreaths are laid at the Broken Families Monument in Edmonton for the National Day of Mourning on April 28, 2024. (Galen McDougall/CTV News Edmonton)

A rally was held Sunday for the dozens of Albertans who died last year as a result of their job.

April 28 is the National Day of Mourning, a day dedicated to honouring people who were killed or died as a result of workplace illness.

According to the province, 165 Albertans died from a workplace-related cause in 2023.

Mourners gathered at Grant Notley Park at the Broken Families Monument to recognize their deaths and advocate for better workplace protections.

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"One death is too many, 165 is an extreme tragedy," said Chris Gallaway, Friends of Medicare president.

"All of these were preventable if we had proper legislation, proper protections, proper protocols in place," he continued. "Every single one of these folks would be alive today, and we need to remember that today."

President of Edmonton District Labour Council said there are likely more than 165 workers who died last year, as that number is only workers covered by the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB).

"We have no idea what the true numbers are," Mady said.

"It's important for us to take the time to pay tribute to those who (were) lost, but also pledge to continue to fight for those who are living, to make sure we have safe workplaces and we always come home at the end of the day," he added.

In Canada, a corporation or employer can be held criminally responsible for the death of a worker, however it's rare.

More often, employers face fines under Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act, such as the $390,000 penalty Syncrude Canada Ltd. was ordered to pay after a worker drowned on a job site in 2021.

• Syncrude ordered to pay $390K after pleading guilty in 2021 death at Alberta work site
• Alberta company to pay $296K following 2021 workplace fatality

Mady wants to see that change.

"It's great that we have these laws, but if law enforcement don't know how to enforce them or properly investigate, we're going to continue to see these numbers rise," Mady said.

"Because they are not going down and they haven't gone down over the past 20 years and that's a shame."

An Alberta government spokesperson said Budget 2024 includes $68 million for OHS education and enforcement, including the hiring of 33 full-time front line staff, which will mean more in-person inspections, a reduction of overtime costs, and better retention through rotating workers off trauma-related work. 

"The health and safety of workers is a top priority for Alberta's government. Every fatality is tragic and our thoughts and prayers go out to their family and friends," said Josh Aldrich. 

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Galen McDougall