Maritime communities mark Day of Mourning

Communities across the Maritimes held ceremonies to mark the Day of Mourning Saturday. The annual event pays tribute to people who have died from workplace injuries.

More than 50 people attended the tribute in Whitney Pier, Cape Breton where they remembered several victims, including Chipman Rudderham.

Rudderham worked for the Department of Highways. He suffered a workplace injury just four days before his retirement. He later died of complications.

His daughter, Tracy Rudderham, placed one of many wreaths at the memorial.

"It's nice that people are aware," she said. "People every year are injured at work and until it hits home you don't realize how devastating it is, and how important something like this is."

Tony Tracy, the Atlantic representative for the Canadian Labour Congress, also spoke at the event.

He said workplace deaths are increasing and employers should be held accountable.

"We have good laws here in Canada and we have good laws here in Nova Scotia on health and safety issues but what we're not seeing is enforcement. What we're not seeing is employers who are criminally charged when workers die. We're saying, from the Canadian Labour Congress, kill a worker, go to jail."

In 2011, 27 people died in work related injuries in Nova Scotia.

New Brunswick had nine deaths following on-the-job injuries.

One person has died in P.E.I. in 2012.