OTTAWA, July 6, 2017 - Operation Lifesaver Canada (OL), a national organization dedicated to promoting rail safety, today announced Peter Mohyla as the recipient of its prestigious 2016 Roger Cyr Award.
Mr. Mohyla has served 30 years as a Metrolinx transit safety officer. During that time, he has used his field experience and passion to promote safety along Metrolinx’s railway corridors in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), coordinating school presentations and community events, working with police and other public safety agencies, and finding innovative ways to educate the public — including through his social media posts and a recent video series which he produced with TVOKids entitled Anytime is Train Time.
“Peter is an energetic and passionate champion of rail safety in the GTHA and beyond,” said Bill Grodzinski, Director of Security at Metrolinx, who nominated Mr. Mohyla for the award. “He collaborates extensively with colleagues and external partners, and takes the safety of community members who drive or walk near Metrolinx’s rail corridors very seriously.”
Mr. Mohyla serves as the chair of OL’s Ontario Steering Committee, which coordinates rail safety outreach efforts across the province. He also recently assisted Operation Lifesaver Canada in developing its national Look. Listen. Live. public awareness campaign, which was launched during Rail Safety Week at the end of April. Mr. Mohyla worked to secure locations for filming the trespassing and crossing scenarios featured in the campaign’s two virtual reality videos, and provided his insights to ensure that the end products were as realistic as possible.
“Peter is a model of rail safety leadership in Canada. We’re very lucky to have him on our Operation Lifesaver team,” said Sarah Mayes, National Director of OL. “He is most deserving of this Roger Cyr Award, and I know his peers across the country join me in offering him our heartfelt congratulations.”
About the Roger Cyr Award
Named after the founder of Operation Lifesaver Canada, the Roger Cyr Award for Public Rail Safety was first awarded in 1981 and is a joint initiative of OL, the Railway Association of Canada and Transport Canada. The award is open to all active Operation Lifesaver partners and rail safety ambassadors who are making efforts to improve railway safety and encouraging others to follow suit.
About Operation Lifesaver
Established in Canada in 1981, Operation Lifesaver is a national rail-safety public-awareness program sponsored by Transport Canada and the Railway Association of Canada and its members, including CN, CP, VIA Rail, AMT, Metrolinx and Genesee & Wyoming, among others. Through partnerships with safety councils, police, the trucking industry, labour and community groups, Operation Lifesaver works to save lives by educating Canadians about the hazards of rail crossings and trespassing on railway property. Members of the public are invited to follow OL on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up-to-date on the latest rail safety news.