Seven of 11 jurisdictions in Canada see injury fatality rate increase: report
Canadians across the country are pausing today to remember workers who were killed, injured or made ill on the job – and to press governments and employers to treat psychological harm as seriously as physical injury.
In a joint statement marking the National Day of Mourning, federal Labour Minister Patty Hajdu and Secretary of State (Labour) John Zerucelli warned that high‑risk sectors such as road transportation and construction continue to be among the hardest hit, underscoring “the importance of strong, consistent protections for workers across jurisdictions.”
The ministers stressed that workers “deserve more than gratitude; they deserve protection, accountability, and the assurance that their health and safety will never be treated as secondary in the workplace,” and pledged that the federal government is working with provinces and territories “to strengthen health and safety protections that reflect the realities workers face today.”
Over 1,000 work‑related deaths in 2024
New national data underline the stakes. Canadian workers’ compensation boards recorded 1,042 work‑related deaths in 2024, according to the 2026 Report on Work Fatality and Injury Rates in Canada, released by researchers at the University of Regina. Job‑related fatalities include both acute injuries, such as deaths from falls or electrocution, and occupational diseases, such as cancers linked to asbestos exposure.
Using Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) figures, the report compares fatality and injury trends across provinces and territories between 2020 and 2024. It shows that injury‑related fatality rates remain highest in the North: Northwest Territories and Nunavut had a five‑year average of 9.1 deaths per 100,000 workers.
Among provinces with more than 100,000 workers, Saskatchewan posted the highest five‑year injury fatality rate at 4.1 per 100,000, followed by Alberta at 3.8 per 100,000.
The picture worsened in several regions in 2024. Seven of 11 jurisdictions saw their injury fatality rate rise compared with their 2021–2023 average. Among larger provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador’s rate jumped 161 per cent, Manitoba’s rose 59 per cent, and New Brunswick’s increased 57 per cent, the report found.
Occupational disease, lost-time injuries
Occupational disease continues to claim lives as well. Over the 2020–2024 period, Newfoundland and Labrador had the highest average occupational disease fatality rate among major provinces, at 7.9 deaths per 100,000 workers, followed by Alberta at 5.1 and Ontario at 4.7. Nova Scotia and Quebec saw some of the sharpest recent increases in disease‑related death rates in 2024, up 27 per cent and 14 per cent respectively compared with their 2021–2023 averages.
Lost‑time injury rates show mixed progress. Manitoba had the highest five‑year lost‑time injury rate among large provinces, at 2.6 per 100 workers, with British Columbia and Quebec close behind at 2.2.
Encouragingly, every jurisdiction reported a lower lost‑time injury rate in 2024 than the average of the previous three years; Quebec, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador recorded the biggest drops, at 24, 22 and 14 per cent respectively, according to the University of Regina report.
Unions put spotlight on psychological injuries
This year, unions are using the Day of Mourning to highlight the toll of psychological harm at work – from burnout and chronic stress to anxiety, depression and post‑traumatic stress.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is drawing attention to invisible and unseen conditions such as PTSD, burnout, anxiety, and depression caused by traumatic and hurtful experiences at work. These psychological injuries “can be debilitating and even catastrophic,” it says, affecting someone’s well‑being, personal life and ability to keep their jobs, and in the most painful cases can lead to death by suicide.
CUPW says psychological illnesses are the top cause of disability in Canada, account for one-third of disability claims, and cost the Canadian economy more than $50 billion annually. Nearly half of working Canadians consider their job “the most stressful part of the day,” the union said.
For the labour movement, the message is clear: “Psychological health IS occupational health,” CUPW emphasized.
The union is calling on employers to “ensure psychological injuries are treated as seriously as physical injuries in the workplace,” apply “a prevention lens” to hazards such as high workloads, harassment and poor workplace culture, and make sure risk assessments with health and safety committees include plans to prevent work‑related psychological injuries.
Mental health: ‘no compromise’
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is sounding a similar alarm. It says this year’s Day of Mourning “focus is on workers experiencing burnout, chronic stress, and other work‑related mental health challenges, while remembering those lost to psychological harm connected to their jobs.”
All workplace injuries and deaths are “preventable—whether physical or psychological in nature,” NUPGE stated.
“Employers must address psychosocial risks with the same level of care as physical, ergonomic, and chemical hazards. Psychological injuries deserve the same attention and prevention efforts as any other workplace injury,” said NUPGE president Bert Blundon.
Day of Mourning rooted in labour activism
The Canadian Labour Congress first proclaimed April 28 as a day to honour workers killed or injured on the job in the 1980s, with the date chosen to align with the 70th anniversary of Ontario’s first Workers’ Compensation Act.
The day was later enshrined in national legislation by an Act of Parliament on Feb. 1, 1991, and is now also known as Workers’ Memorial Day and “officially recognized in about 100 countries worldwide,” according to Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).
Canadian flags on Parliament Hill and at Queen’s Park fly at half‑mast on April 28, and the day is marked through public ceremonies, moments of silence at 11:00 a.m. and the sharing of stories of workplace tragedy, the agency says.
