The Corporation of the City of London
July 24, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Western graduate awarded 2012 Tim Hickman Memorial Health & Safety
Scholarship
This evening City Council recognized
Erica Masur as the 2012 recipient of
the
Tim Hickman Memorial Health and Safety Scholarship. This annual $3,000
scholarship for students in an occupational and/or public health and safety
related program was established in 2006 by the City of London and CUPE Locals
101 and 107 as a tribute to employee Tim Hickman who died in service to the
community at age 21.
A Dean's Honour List student, Erica graduated from Western this spring with a
Bachelor of Science in Nursing. A focus of the nursing career she has newly
embarked upon will be "to advocate, educate and promote safe and healthy
lifestyles and workplaces." Erica's conviction that preventative measures and
education are the way to counterattack many of the injuries, diseases and
untimely deaths that affect our society is deeply heartfelt. The drowning of a
family friend - she was just 11 at the time - set her on a determined course as
a promoter and exemplar of water safety as a swimming instructor, life guard and
in supervisory and management positions with the City of London Aquatic Services
Department. Last year, she won the Heather MacDougall Memorial Award for
facilitating the best water smart public relations campaign at a City pool. In
the limelight with her was the entire staff of Southcrest - the pool she managed
in summer 2011- whose team efforts won them the water smart "Spirit" award.
Erica's Water Safe Campaign - which Aquatic Services describes as
"inspirational" - included voluntary training in water safety skills. She and
other members of the Southcrest pool team held educational sessions at venues
ranging from the Fanshawe Conservation area to a festival in Victoria Park that
attracted more than 1,200 participants. The born and bred Londoner has also
contributed to community safety through various student placements, For example,
along with three peers, Erica helped initiate discussions with City Hall that
resulted in traffic pattern changes which now make the walk to and from school
much safer for children at Ealing Public School.
Membership in several professional associations has been coupled with active
involvement as the vice president in charge of Charity Events and Social
Committee Promotions Commissioner on the University of Western Ontario Nursing
Student Council. Two years ago Erica began devoting some of her weekend time as
a "Special Friend" at Camp Trillium family events for children with cancer.
Sports such as soccer and snowboarding also are among her extracurricular
activities. Currently working in Emergency Care, under consideration for the
future is a return to university to obtain a Masters degree, likely with a
specialty in infection control.
Mayor Fontana was pleased to announce Erica Masur as this year’s recipient of
the Tim Hickman Memorial Scholarship. He said, “Erica is an outstanding example
of the vibrancy and dedication that propels our young people to help improve our
community and quality of life. She has seen where and how to make improvements –
to make a positive difference – and she has done just that. Her actions speak to
her character and her concern for others and their safety make her the perfect
choice as this year’s beneficiary. The annual award provides us with a public
opportunity to remember Tim and our responsibility to be vigilant and cognizant
of workplace safety.”
The Selection Committee that chose Erica to receive the scholarship includes
Shirley Hickman, mother of Tim, for whom the award is named. In addition to
staff of the City's Human Resource Division and Environmental and Engineering
Services Department, there is Committee member representation for CUPE Local 101
and CUPE Local 107 and the London Chapter of the Canadian Society of Safety
Engineering. Details of the selection criteria and the submission process are
published on the City's website along with profiles of previous award winners.