Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, April 28, marks the 10th annual National Day of Mourning. We observe this day to honour those who have been killed or injured in the workplace. It is because of these tragic deaths that I rise today to remind my colleagues that making a greater commitment to workplace safety benefits all Canadians.
The National Day of Mourning takes on even more meaning when we look at the alarming statistics. An average of three Canadians are killed every working day and one is injured every nine seconds. This accounts for nearly 800 deaths and some 800,000 injuries every year.
Although the number of workplace accidents has been reduced over the past 10 years, this day serves as an important reminder that we must prevent these accidents from ever happening.
We pay tribute to those we remember today by putting forth our best efforts to strive for safer and healthier workplaces through continued education, awareness and co-operation.
I ask members of the House to take time tomorrow to remember the workers who lost their lives or who were injured on the job over the last year. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those workers.