Achi news desk-
Dozens of people from across Nova Scotia gathered at the Province House on Sunday for the National Day of Mourning, an annual day that remembers those who have died or been injured in a workplace accident.
Friends, family and other members of the community gathered for the ceremony. Among them was Nicole Beck-Maceachern, the daughter of a man who lost his life in a work-related incident in 2004.
“The impact is far-reaching” said Beck-Maceachern in her speech during the ceremony. “It’s not just the day of the month of the year. You know, 20 years later and it still affects my life.”
Beck-Maceachern said her father Ronald William Beck was taken from a senseless workplace incident that could have been prevented.
“Over the next few days people came and went but the pain never did. I tried my best to stay strong for my mother and sister and they did the same for me. All of us play the role of strength instead of allowing ourselves to feel what we needed to feel,” she said.
Following the loss of her father, Beck-Maceachern found it difficult to cope, which she says in turn affected her mental health and personal relationships.
“It seems so absurd to me that my father, a winner of any safety awards and who refuses work because of safety concerns, would lose his life being crushed between two railway cars that had faulty breaks.”
She said it’s important to share her story so she can help others make the right decision.
“I hope that everyone who hears my story will go to work with workplace safety at the forefront of their mind and never let it go because it is the most important thing of all. Everyone deserves to go to work and come home safe,” he said.
Over the years Nova Scotia has seen fewer workplace injuries and deaths, however it still happens.
“We have had 4 tragedies and deaths [this year]. Every single death [and] all injuries are one too many. However, the trend in Nova Scotia has gone down,” said Saeed El-Darahali, chair of the Nova Scotia Workers’ Compensation Board.
