Darren Henry carried his father’s feather and tobacco pouch at Friday evening’s Day of Mourning ceremony held at Sarnia’s Clifford Hansen Fire Station.
Henry, a band councilor at Aamjiwnaang First Nation and a long-time process operator, spoke during the annual event held to commemorate those who have died or been injured because of their job.
Also speaking were Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley and representatives of the Sarnia and District Labor Council, the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers and the group Victims of Chemical Valley.
“My dad is a victim of Chemical Valley,” Henry said.
Henry said his father died in 1994 from mesothelioma, a cancer associated with asbestos which was widely used in the Sarnia area’s chemical plants, refineries and other industrial sites.
“Some of the values that we have as Anishinaabe are love, truth, respect, bravery, humility, honesty and wisdom,” Henry said.
“What we encounter due to exposure to chemicals in the workplace, situations in the workplace, safety and practices in the workplace, quite often is the opposite of those values.”
Henry joined drummers as dancers from Aamjiwnaang First Nation took part in the ceremony.
Henry said his father was also a band councilor and died just 18 months before he planned to retire from his job at Imperial Oil.
“My mom took up the fight on my dad’s passing, and while he was sick, and she joined in with the Victims of Chemical Valley,” Henry said.
“They’re such a powerful and wonderful, beautiful body of people that cared for us, that cared for their spouses, that cared for what happened in the workplaces.”
The group was formed years ago largely by widows of workers in Sarnia’s industries and over the years they have lobbied for better health services for workers and an end to the use of asbestos. In 2019 they joined with other groups pushing for changes to Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.
“This is an important day for workers,” said Sandra Kinart, with the Victims of Chemical Valley. “It’s an important day for families because most everyone here has lost somebody very close to them – a neighbour, a friend, a partner.”
Kinart’s late husband, Blayne Kinart, was a millwright in Sarnia. He died in 2004 of mesothelioma.
She spoke about how members of the group are aging.
“We’re down to a very few,” Kinart said. “If someone’s interested in helping Victims of Chemical Valley, we would like your help.”
April 28 has been designated as a National Day of Mourning in Canada.
“There are those among us who carry this day with them every day,” said Nick Dochstader, president of the Sarnia and District Labor Council.
“We are here to listen and to support you and your loved ones.”
The ceremony ended with members of the audience saying the names of those they were remembering and placing flowers in a basket held by Kinart.
They were led by Melissa Boucher, and her daughter Triniti Boucher. Melissa’s husband, and Triniti’s father, Dan Boucher, died last summer after being injured in a forklift accident at ReVital Polymers in Sarnia.
“Unfortunately, it still happens,” Dochstader said.
“We ask for a call to action in honor of those who have lost their lives on the job – who have been injured or who suffer from illness because of hazardous work,” he said.
“We know that workplace deaths are preventable.”
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