On Wednesday, April 15, the Union of Safety and Justice Employees (USJE) hosted its third Public Safety Awards ceremony on Parliament Hill featuring seven outstanding USJE members who work in a variety of capacities as Public Safety Personnel across the country.
This event brought together USJE’s National Executive, parliamentarians, and senior government leaders to recognize the outstanding contributions of federal public safety and justice employees. The evening served as a rare opportunity to highlight the often unseen and unsung work of federal Public Safety Personnel who contribute to keeping Canadians safe every day.
The event opened with remarks from Annie Blanchette, USJE Regional Vice-President for Quebec, who welcomed everyone and provided a land acknowledgment. USJE National President David Neufeld then delivered keynote remarks prior to the introduction of Recipients.
During President Neufeld’s remarks, he emphasized the crucial role of federal Public Safety Personnel represented by USJE from coast to coast to coast, across 18 different agencies and departments.
At the same time, President Neufeld underscored longstanding efforts by USJE to improved access to Workers’ Compensation for mental health injuries through amendments to the Government Employees Compensation Act. In addition, President Neufeld urged caution regarding the federal government’s Comprehensive Expenditure Review (CER), and ensuing Workforce Adjustment (WFA) measures. When there are fewer federal public service employees available to undertake crucial public safety work, WFA measures can have a serious impact on community safety across this country.
USJE was honoured to be joined by some distinguished parliamentarians and leaders, including:
- Talal Dakalbab, new Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC)
- The Hon. Gary Anandasangaree, federal Minister of Public Safety
- Frank Caputo, Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, MP for Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola
- Claude DeBellefeuille, Vice-Chair of the Public Safety Committee, and MP for Salaberry—Suroît
- Jenny Kwan, NDP Critic for Public Safety and National Security and MP for Vancouver East
It was the first time that the federal Public Safety Minister and the CSC Commissioner joined USJE for these National Awards. Alongside their colleagues, they reflected on the importance of the work that USJE’s Public Safety Personnel do to maintain the robust public safety network on which Canadians so heavily rely.
Several speakers recognized that this work often comes at a cost—as federal Public Safety Personnel sometimes, inadvertently, put their mental and physical health on the line to protect Canadians. USJE was very appreciative to have Commissioner Dakalbab and Minister Anandasangaree not just speak at the event, but take the time to meet with recipients and extend their personal and heartfelt congratulations.
Honouring the 2026 award recipients
The highlight of the evening was the recognition of seven outstanding individuals whose work exemplifies excellence, leadership, and commitment to public safety across Canada. Extended biographies of each recipient can be found here.
Mike Ashman (Ontario)
A leader within the Government Operations Centre, Mr. Ashman has spent over a decade strengthening Canada’s emergency management and disaster response capacity. His work has supported national responses to major events including wildfires, the COVID-19 pandemic, refugee resettlement, and large-scale evacuations, and has involved extensive collaboration with colleagues and other levels of government.
Chantal Blier (Québec)
With nearly 27 years of service at the Correctional Service of Canada, Madame Blier has demonstrated unwavering dedication to both her profession and her colleagues. Her contributions to employee support programs and correctional programming, combined with her compassionate approach, have left a lasting impact as she prepares for retirement.
Francine Cadieux (Québec)
Often described as a cornerstone of RCMP C Division, Madame Cadieux brings over two decades of expertise in supporting complex police investigations. Known for her deep institutional knowledge and collaborative approach, she plays a vital role in connecting investigators with the information they need to advance critical cases.
Hatem Hammad (Alberta)
An educator with the Correctional Service of Canada, Mr. Hammad has dedicated much of his career to rehabilitation of federal offenders through education. His thoughtful approach to education has helped countless federal offenders turn their lives around, and gain the skills and confidence needed to start rebuilding their lives, demonstrating the transformative power of learning within the correctional system.
Kristy McDougall (Saskatchewan)
Ms. McDougall’s leadership within the RCMP has strengthened operational support in rural and remote communities for Detachment Services Assistants (DSAs) and the RCMP detachments they serve. Through her leadership under a provincial pilot project, Ms. McDougall and her counterparts have vastly improved training, mental health support, and coordination for DSAs across more than 100 detachments. This has notably improved policing operations in Saskatchewan, for which Ms. McDougall and her counterparts have been recognized locally and provincially.
Michelle Martin (Nova Scotia)
From frontline correctional work in Nova Institution and, more recently, in the Community, to national crisis negotiation training, Ms. Martin has built a career defined by leadership and advocacy. As one of a very small team of expertly trained crisis negotiators, not to mention her fierce advocacy for workplace psychological safety after her own challenging experience, Ms. Martin stands out for her contributions to public safety. She is also passionate about youth mentorship and development through volunteer work with Northern communities.
Nicholas Tilgner (Québec)
Bringing an incredibly diverse background in aviation, emergency medicine, and public safety, Mr. Tilgner has significantly enhanced the RCMP’s capabilities through innovative training, unique expertise and policy contributions. His work reflects a deep commitment to ensuring the RCMP has the tools they need to navigate complex policing situations. Mr. Tilgner is also a strong advocate for enhancing community resilience through ensuring trained public safety professionals are supported to respond to local emergencies, including natural disasters.
As the evening concluded, attendees were encouraged to connect with the recipients and reflect on the collective responsibility to support and strengthen Canada’s public safety workforce.
In summary, USJE’s National Public Safety Awards serve as a powerful reminder that the public safety of Canadians relies in part on the expertise, dedication, and resilience of federal Public Safety Personnel who comprise the operational backbone of Canada’s public safety network. While much of their work happens behind the scenes, the impact is felt in communities across the country.