Ontario Building Workers’ Memorial at Queen’s Park

On the National Day of Mourning, we remember the workers who built our city and province, and honour those who lost their lives, were injured or became ill on the job. This new memorial at Queen’s Park will be a powerful place for reflection and a reminder that one life lost is one too many. We owe it to every worker and every family to keep pushing for safer workplaces so that everyone can return home at the end of the day.

I would like to thank Premier Ford and Minister Piccini for hearing the voice of labour and agreeing to build a construction workers’ memorial at Queen’s Park. I’m pleased that this government is recognizing the lives lost by our tradesmen and women while building our great city and province. Our industry and government need to work collaboratively so that we can eliminate all workplace exposures and fatalities.

The Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council observes April 28, the National Day of Mourning, as a time to stop and remember the workers who never made it home and the families and communities who carry that loss every day. The unveiling of the Construction Worker’s Memorial design at Queen’s Park is an important and lasting reminder that these lives must never be forgotten. We welcome the Government of Ontario’s leadership in recognizing this reality. This monument stands as both a place to reflect and a call to action – to strengthen our commitment to health and safety, to prevent further tragedies, and to ensure every worker returns home safely at the end of the day.

Today, we pause to remember the men and women who never made it home, and we stand with the families who carry that loss every single day. Their absence is felt not only in our workplaces, but around kitchen tables, in our communities, and in lives forever changed. Every worker deserves to come home safe. Workers’ Memorial Day is not only about remembrance, it is a renewed commitment to do more, to demand better, and to ensure no family has to endure this kind of loss again. This memorial stands as a promise, to the fallen and to their families, that we will carry their memory forward through action. Together with government, labour, and industry partners, we remain committed to making every workplace safer. Because safety is not optional. It is our duty, and we will never stop fighting for it.

Construction workers and skilled tradespeople quite literally build Ontario, and every one of them deserves to return home safely at the end of the day. This construction workers’ memorial honours those we have lost and reminds us that remembrance must always come with action. On the National Day of Mourning, the labour movement renews its commitment to prevention, strong enforcement, and a culture where no deadline or profit comes before a worker’s life.

Ontario’s construction workers have built the foundation of this province, often under challenging and high-risk conditions. This memorial stands as a powerful tribute to those who paid the ultimate price and the families behind them. It also serves as a reminder to all of us, workers and employers alike, of the responsibility we share to strengthen a culture of safety and ensure every worker returns home safely.

Merit Ontario thanks Premier Ford and Minister Piccini for the new permanent Construction Workers’ Memorial at Queen’s Park. Unveiled on the National Day of Mourning, April 28, this memorial is a fitting tribute to the workers who left for their jobs and never returned home. It is not only a place of remembrance, but a powerful call to action to renew our commitment to ensuring every worker makes it home safe.