It was a day of mourning for those who lost a loved one in a workplace accident at St. Augustine's Church in Riverside Friday.
There wasn't an empty pew in the church as those left behind told their stories for The National Day of Mourning.
Leamington natives Don Affleck and his wife Marlene lost there son Wayne in December of last year.
He says burying his son, isn't something he ever expected to have to go through.
"I've buried my parents, she's buried her parents, and I would do that a hundred times over, rather than burring our son." he says. "People need to be a little bit more aware at work. I think we all have a tendency of doing things that probably aren't quite right and it's like, you know what? They're [rules] there to protect us."
Affleck and his wife say there needs to be more help extended to families dealing with the loss of a loved one. #cklw pic.twitter.com/B2N4uRMbNl
— Gord Bacon (@baconAM800) April 28, 2017
He says Wayne was working on a solar panel array that was powered by a generator when he was fatally electrocuted near Toronto.
The incident is still being investigated, and until it is resolved, he says it's hard to move forward.
"We actually haven't had a chance to properly mourn our son because of all the court proceedings. We still get phone calls at Christmas time from coroners and lawyers and our whole life from then until now has been turned over," says Affleck.
Affleck and his wife say there needs to be more help extended to families dealing with the loss of a loved one. #cklw pic.twitter.com/B2N4uRMbNl
— Gord Bacon (@baconAM800) April 28, 2017
His wife Marlene wants more support extended to family and friends when workers are injured or killed on the job.
She says the whole experience has been extremely cold from the employers and officials.
"Let me help you pay for psychiatry, like there's no help in any avenue of the whole situation. I find that so unjust, you can't just say 'oh, well your son was electrocuted and he died, oh well,'" Marlene says.
Several families told their stories Friday at St. Augustine's before a procession leading down to the Injured Workers Monument at the foot of Pillette Ave. on Riverside Dr..