Remembering loved ones lost in workplace accidents

By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On July 19, 2021 Denise McEllistrum got the call no parent ever wants to receive.

It was a Chatham-Kent Health Alliance employee on the line asking her to come to the hospital because her son Justin Martin had been injured.

Upon arrival she learned her 44-year-old son had died because of a workplace accident.

“I don’t want anybody to go through this,” McEllistrum told The Voice, her eyes misting over. “It keeps you awake at night. Everywhere I go in Chatham, I see Justin…cars…places.

“He was a loveable person who helped other people,” she said.

“His heart was pure.”

But though it’s raw and painful, McEllistrum and her daughter Tina Martin are willing to tell the story of their loss in the hope it can save another family from a similar fate. They are doing so to mark Canada’s National Day of Mourning April 28 that commemorates the lives of Canadians who were injured or who have lost their lives while on the job.

According to previously published media reports, Martin was working on an elevated platform in Chatham when he fell and was reportedly not wearing a safety harness. An Ontario Ministry of Labour investigation into the matter is still ongoing.

At the time of his passing, Martin was an employee of Curran Expert Removal and Excavating Ltd.

His family says his death could have been avoided with the proper use of safety equipment.

“The senselessness of these deaths is what makes it so tragic,” Tina said in a recent interview. “Justin’s death could have been prevented. He should have been tied off but he wasn’t.

“He wasn’t safe at all…there should have been somebody else there.”

Chatham-Kent Labour Council president Linda Reaume, who is related to Justin and knew him well, said his death was yet another preventable tragedy.

“Doing something after the fact isn’t good enough,” Reaume said. “When it comes to dangerous situations on the job, we can’t look the other way and workers need to look out for each other.

“If you see something, say something,” Reaume stressed.

According to Reaume a tight labour market, exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic sometimes leads to employers – and employees – cutting corners.

Plus, she said, some workers, such as new Canadians who may not understand the language are especially vulnerable, afraid to challenge authority in an unsafe situation.

“I’m not saying that all employers are bad, but some put production over protection,” Reaume added.

“We need worker to worker education and health and safety education in all workplaces,” she said. “Justin’s death should never have happened. He was one of those guys who was so kind and friendly.”

Both McEllistrum and her daughter will be attending a ceremony at the Chatham Labour Gardens across from Canadian Tire on Grand Avenue in Chatham on April 28. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. and everyone is welcome.

“I am going to keep him (Justin) alive at this ceremony,” McEllistrum said, noting tragedies like Justin’s death affect the entire community.