Yukoners recognized through Community Safety Awards

2020–2021 Community Safety Awards Recipients

Lifetime Contribution: Gerry Crayford

Gerry Crayford was the Assistant Fire Chief for the Dawson City Fire Department for more than 45 years. He joined in 1975 and served for 46 years and three months, retiring in August 2021. Gerry was born and raised in Dawson City and he lived there until his retirement. He has shown exceptional commitment to his community and keeping them safe; volunteering his time and acting as a mentor and role model within the community.

Two awards are presented to recognize the combined efforts of RCMP Corporal Cameron Long and Capital Helicopters owner/pilot Melvin Lagersson in a successful search and rescue operation.

Yukon Policing Award: Corporal Cameron Long

Corporal (Cpl.) Cameron Long responded to reports of a capsized sailboat on Marsh Lake on July 21, 2021. Two passengers were reported to be in the lake without lifejackets. A storm had blown in with heavy winds, thunder and lightning. He was flown in via helicopter piloted by Melvin Lagersson. Through the exceptional skills of the pilot, Cpl. Long was able to enter the water and assist a woman while waiting for the RCMP boat. The pilot continued to search and located a man, the second occupant, during this time. Once the RCMP boat rescued the woman, Cpl. Long re-entered the helicopter from the water, was flown to the man’s location where he re-entered the water to assist the man while waiting for the boat to return.

First Responder: Melvin Lagersson–Capital Helicopters (owner/operator)

Melvin Lagersson contributed to the safe location and rescue of the two boat passengers on Marsh Lake. Through his exceptional skills piloting a helicopter in a storm, the boat passengers were located and safely rescued.

Mentor for Youth: Willow Brewster

Willow Brewster is a long time lifeguard and paramedic. Through her service, she recognized the need for water safety and rescue skills programming in rural communities. She identified a gap and has been actively working to address it. She partnered with the Recreation and Parks Association of the Yukon (RPAY) to provide summer water safety and education day camps in Old Crow and Teslin. She continues to work to build capacity around water safety. Willow hopes the workshops will be offered throughout the Yukon and that communities will take on the role of teaching these skills. Willow innovatively uses play and fun to educate young people and their families on how to be safe around water including basic swimming, self-rescue skills, preventing others from drowning, risks and safety around water.

Bridge Builder: Chase Blodgett

Chase Blodgett has continued efforts to promote safety and justice throughout the community through his efforts with recreational hockey and transgender inclusion. In 2015 he lobbied successfully to pass a motion to amend the Yukon’s Human Rights Act to include gender identity and expression the next time the Act is reviewed.

He was named to Canadian Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Youth Advisory Group which ensures transgender voices are included in targeting gender-based oppression. Chase is the founder of All Genders Yukon, a support group for individuals exploring gender identity and also delivered LGBTQ2S+ Inclusive workplace training to the City of Whitehorse. In 2016, Chase was featured on the Hometown Hockey Yukon tour covering transgender inclusiveness and co-presented on Northern Congeniality and Being Trans at the Moving Trans Histories Forward Conference.

Chase has continued to improve the Yukon’s landscape for LGBTQ2S+ individuals and through this has increased community safety for those Yukoners who may be marginalized due to their gender identity or sexuality.

Exceptional Project: Angela Miller and Sue Rudd for the Watson Lake System Navigation project.

The Watson Lake System Navigation project is supported by the Watson Lake Interagency Committee and the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Society Yukon (FASSY). It has been operating in Watson Lake for four years and has provided much-needed outreach and navigation support for individuals living with neuro-developmental disabilities. The office supports marginalized members of the community, the homeless, those with addictions and mental health challenges and those most at risk for harm. This program has worked to address food insecurity throughout the pandemic and is now addressing challenges in housing.

Angela Miller, the navigator, has been with the program from the beginning. Sue Rudd provides valuable case coordination direction, networking and administrative support. This program has contributed to improvement in the health, mental wellness and safety of people in Watson Lake.

Volunteer Award: John Moses–EMS Watson Lake

John Moses is always willing to lend an extra hand to assist those in need. He helps with the local food hamper program and is often unloading trucks and handing out hampers no matter the weather. He supports health programming in the community by providing tours of the ambulance to children, helping to decrease anxiety and fear; engaging with the most vulnerable members of the Watson Lake community, both in emergency and non-emergency situations and, perhaps most importantly, reading stories to children.

John hands out water on hot days and checks in with those at risk to ensure their safety. He reaches out to other support agencies to collaboratively manage care and advocates for safety and security for those whose voices often go unheard. John works actively to reduce barriers to health care, identifies gaps in service delivery and takes action where he can to improve systems. Above all, John cares for his community in a holistic and compassionate way.

Volunteer Award: Sergeant John Mitchell

Sergeant (Sgt.) John Mitchell led the Dawson Rangers, Unit #1 from 1991 to 2021. After 30 years of service, he has retired. Sgt. Mitchell was integral in bringing new life to the unit in the early years and helped grow the Rangers into a community force. The Rangers are now leaders in Dawson City’s community service and serve as an outlet for many residents to find value in helping others. Sgt. Mitchell has been responsible for much of that through his example and commitment to others.

Service to persons in need: Terence (Terry) Grabowski

Terry Grabowski is a Veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces and Community Policing. He works with the Legion and community to identify Veterans and families that are in need. He provides information on local and national resources, which enables Veterans in need to access specified help. Terry provides assistance in acquiring housing and food, or any required medical treatments for PTSD. He is a liaison between Veterans and organizations on a 24/7 basis; spending many hours on the phone comforting and reassuring those who are in need of kindness. He is also a member and presenter with Quilts of Valour Canada. Terry has dedicated a significant amount of his life to supporting Yukon Veterans and their families.

First Responder Awards: Corporal Tim Anderson, Constable Greg Tillack, Constable Eric Parent, Captain Scott MacFarlane and Ryan Miller

During the evening hours of January 8, 2021, Whitehorse RCMP and Whitehorse Fire Department were dispatched to a report of a building fire at the Ryder Apartment.

On the evening of January 8, 2021, Corporal (Cpl.) Tim Anderson noticed the fire on the Whitehorse Detachment security camera at the Ryder Apartments, which is located behind the Whitehorse RCMP building. Cpl. Anderson quickly made his way to the scene before emergency crews were dispatched. He took control of the scene and moved people away from the building, which was fully engulfed in flames. Constable (Cst.) Tillack and Cst. Parent arrived shortly after, and together the two officers began banging on doors and windows in an effort to clear the building. During this time, Cst. Parent helped a man escape from the window of his burning apartment. Cpl. Anderson and Cst. Tillack acted quickly to save an elderly woman struggling to walk out of the flaming entrance of the engulfed apartment. They then entered the building and began clearing the apartments on the remaining floors; risking their immediate safety to ensure the safety of others.

When the Whitehorse Fire Department arrived on scene, the entire building was filled with smoke and heat from the burning units. Despite the risk to themselves, Whitehorse Fire Department Captain Scott MacFarlane and Firefighter Ryan Miller entered the building and removed two unconscious people from the blaze. Cpl. Anderson and Cst. Tillack helped to administer first aid and assisted EMS in loading the two people onto stretchers and into an ambulance. As a result of the exceptional response and teamwork of these individuals, lives were saved and serious injuries were prevented.

First Responder: Scott McDougall–Co-owner of Kanoe People.

On July 22, 2021, around 1 p.m., Whitehorse RCMP received to a report of a man floating fully clothed in the Yukon River, near downtown. The man was in the middle of the rushing river and there was no way to reach him from shore. While police were en route via land and water, Scott McDougall – the owner of Kanoe People – was alerted to the man in the water by bystanders. Without hesitation, he donned his lifejacket and launched a canoe into the river in an attempt to reach the man.

Scott's skills learned through years on the water, allowed him to navigate the river and reach the man quickly. When Scott reached him, the man was underwater. Scott was able to reach below the surface, grab hold of the man and pull him back above water, all while maintaining control of his canoe. He was then able to move him over to the RCMP boat when officers arrived on scene.

Scott McDougall's bravery, courage, skills and ability to remain calm while putting himself in danger to save the life of another is nothing short of remarkable, and his efforts in this situation were outstanding.

First Responder: Jesse Craig

Jesse Craig was walking near Schwatka Lake in Whitehorse after work when he heard a voice coming from the bushes near the bank of the lake. When he went to investigate, Jesse found a man on the shoreline shivering and in shock, and another man clinging to a flipped canoe in the water. At that time, the lake was half-covered in ice and the spring temperatures were not forgiving.

Jesse quickly called 911, grabbed a log and pushed one end into the water while holding the other end. He instructed the man in the water to roll onto his back and slowly kick himself towards the end of the log until he could hold on to it. Jesse was able to pull him onto the shore where he told the man to take his wet clothes off; giving the man his own clothes to help dry him off and keep him warm.

Jesse followed his training and did exactly as he should have in a rescue situation like this. Because of that, he didn’t put himself at risk of needing rescue and was able to successfully help the two who needed it.

First Responder: Claude Vallier

On the evening of July 2, 2021, Claude Vallier, working as a CEMA enforcement officer at the time, went to the High Country Inn to perform routine check-ins on isolating individuals. While he was there, a man came to the front desk looking for a naloxone kit. Claude had a kit with him and the man led him to a person who appeared to be overdosing. Naloxone was administered, and a bystander was asked to call 911. After administering additional doses of naloxone it was determined that the person was not breathing. Claude and a bystander moved the person to the floor and administered CPR without protective masks until EMS arrived and took over. In this situation, Claude went above and beyond the call of duty to save the person overdosing and was able to help a person in need until EMS arrived.