LifeQuilt Honours 100 Young Workers
A memorial commemorative
quilt block of young workers (ages 15-24) who were
killed on the job is included on the
LifeQuilt, a quilt tapestry (9' x
20' / 2 x 6m), created by Toronto visual artist Laurie Swim with the help of
volunteer quilters from across Canada.
The LifeQuilt is intended to be a lasting memorial to young workers who died
at work. At the same time, it spreads a powerful message about the importance of prevention.
Flanking the focal image are one hundred commemorative blocks, each portraying a young worker who died on the job. Like the young workers they represent, each commemorative block will be unique. The
100 names are listed on the left and link to a
personal tribute page by family and friends.
The
LifeQuilt's centre
focal image honours 100 young workers
injured on the job.
LifeQuilt artist Laurie Swim uses the process of quilt building to build community as well, involving members of the community affected. The
LifeQuilt brings together families who have lost loved ones, as well as those injured at work. It
offers them an opportunity to share their stories in a unique way and in a way that contributes to the goal of prevention.
Laurie Swim’s previous
works,
Breaking Ground, about the workers who lost their lives in the Hoggs Hollow tunneling accident,
Pulling Together, about the building of the Rideau Canal and Lost At Sea about lost fishers, also honour working people.
The LifeQuilt was completed in time for the
Day of Mourning, 2003. It will tour across the country during the next two years. The
Friends of the LifeQuilt Committee is co-chaired by Clarence MacPherson of the Workers Health and Safety Centre
and Maureen Shaw of the IAPA (Industrial
Accident Prevention Association). It includes representatives from labour, business and government.
For more information, please contact:
Yvonne Laurent at the Workers Health and Safety Centre
Phone: Toronto 416-441-1939 or 1-888-869-7950 x3021
E-mail: yvonne@whsc.on.ca
or call Carolynn George at the IAPA, 1-800-406-4272
E-mail: cgeorge@iapa.ca
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