On April 28, as part of its recognition of the National Day of Mourning, the Ontario government unveiled a concept for design of a new memorial to commemorate the contributions and sacrifices of construction workers whose lives have been lost or changed forever due to work-related incidents.

The memorial, which will be located on the grounds of Queen’s Park near the intersection of College Street and University Avenue, will provide a dedicated space for reflection and remembrance, while serving as a lasting reminder of the shared responsibility to protect workers every day.

“Today, we join communities across Ontario to remember the workers who have given so much to build our province,” said Premier Doug Ford. “For the families and colleagues of workers who lost their lives or were injured on the job, this memorial will serve as a place to honour their sacrifices and stand as a reminder of our duty to make sure workers always come home safely.”

To be built on the grounds of Queen’s Park, the memorial will honour construction workers who have suffered a workplace death, injury or illness and is expected to be completed in 2027. The design features a collection of plaques that come together to form a self-supporting raised design to honour the names of workers who lost their lives on the job. A new plaque will be added each year on April 28 to mark the National Day of Mourning.

"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,” said business manager and secretary-treasurer Marc Arsenault. “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."

In 2025, there were close to 580,000 construction workers in Ontario, and over the next decade, the province will need an additional 160,000. According to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, the lost‑time injury rate per 100 workers in Ontario’s construction sector has declined by 13.5 percent.

However, data from the University of Regina’s 2026 Report on Work Fatality and Injury Rates finds that Canadian workers’ compensation boards recorded 1,042 work‑related deaths in 2024, or more than five working deaths per day, nationally. That figure is almost unchanged from a year previous.

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