SUDBURY -- The 'Day of Mourning' looked a little different this year, as people watched the virtual event on their screens instead of in person.

Also new this year, organizers decided to involve the community on a more personal level.

“We’ve asked them community to submit videos, thanking workers, thanking people they know," said Jamie West, Sudbury MPP (NDP).

West says it's important to recognize this day.

“On the one hand it’s great that we’re doing it, on the other hand we’re not doing a great job of reducing the number of fatalities and deaths. There slowly going down but it would be nice to get a sharper curved but it’s very important for us to take pride in Sudbury that we came up with this idea to prevent deaths and prevent injuries and occupational disease,"

The theme every year is protecting workers. Sudburys Labour Council says the message for this day has not changed, even though the situation has.

Day of Mourning

“We still want to protect workers that are going to work and with the covid crisis right now that includes front line health care workers as well as other essential workers who are providing us with the necessities of health care and of life," said Paul Pasanen, Sudburys Labour Council President.

"There’s a lot of people in the workplaces where they are exposed to the public and they are exposed to people who are vulnerable. We have cases where people are sick with covid and we have cases across Ontario where people have died from covid and it’s the emphasis of that, it doesn’t take just a pandemic for people to be sick and injured," said West.

Area politicians say the goal at next years ceremony is to involve high school students and give them the health and safety training they need before the start their first job.