ROGER CYR AWARD

Operation Lifesaver Canada’s mission is to raise awareness about rail safety and save lives. But we could never do the work we do alone.

We depend on our partners from the rail industry, government, police, and other organizations to help us achieve our goal. This cross-Canada network shares the belief that every single railway trespassing or crossing-related death or injury can—and should—be prevented.

The Roger Cyr Award for Rail Safety is our chance to highlight the important contribution that these partners make to reaching our goal of zero railway incidents. Each year, this prestigious award is given to an individual who goes above and beyond in promoting rail safety in Canada—and who inspires others to do the same.

Meet the 2023 Roger Cyr Award winners

Cst. Trevor Smith, CPKC Police Service

Constable Trevor Smith has been working to keep Canadians safe for years as a railway police officer in Whistler B.C., Toronto, and Montreal. A member of the CPKC Police Service since 2021, he’s known for his innovative and inclusive approach to community service and safety, and for his passion for helping educate Canadians about rail safety.

Constable Smith has had a hand in many key initiatives over the past several years, such as the annual Community Coffee with a Cop in the Montreal area. During Rail Safety Week 2019, he worked with other law enforcement to launch the event as a way to have one-on-one conversations with local residents about staying safe near tracks. Constable Smith also mentors young people through his work with the Beyond the Badge program. He offers guidance and fosters relationships between youth at risk and first responders by initiating discussions on the importance of rail safety.

He’s also committed to saving lives by supporting suicide prevention efforts. Constable Smith has helped identify high-risk trespass areas and installed suicide prevention and no-trespass signs at eight locations along the CPKC Adirondack and Vaudreuil subdivisions. He has also been pivotal in emergency response coordination in the region, acting as the point of contact between local fire departments and CPKC’s hazmat team, demonstrating his commitment to emergency preparedness and safety in the community.

We thank CPKC Police Constable Trevor Smith for his extraordinary contributions to rail safety in Canada.

Ste.-Hélène-de-Bagot, Québec

Located in the picturesque Montérégie region, midway between St-Hyacinthe and Drummondville, Ste.-Hélène-de-Bagot offers its nearly 1700 residents the best of village and country living.

Local agricultural producers rely on road and rail links to get their goods to market. And the municipality’s leaders have long shown a spirit of collaboration and partnership with OL Canada to increase citizens’ rail safety awareness, through initiatives such as:

Presentations to young people attending municipal day camps
Safety signage affixed permanently to the local town hall
Timely social posts on the town’s Facebook page
Annual resolutions in support of Rail Safety Week
Inviting OL Canada volunteers to community events like ‘’Plaisir Hivernal’’

We thank members of the municipality’s leadership team, elected and non-elected, for their extraordinary contributions to rail safety in Québec and Canada.

About the award

Named after the founder of Operation Lifesaver Canada, the Roger Cyr Award for Public Rail Safety recognizes the presenters, supporters and volunteers who contribute to promoting rail safety in Canada. It was first awarded in 1981 and is a joint initiative of Operation Lifesaver, the Railway Association of Canada and Transport Canada.

The award is not only a chance to recognize the outstanding achievements of Operation Lifesaver’s partners and volunteers —it also offers us an opportunity to learn from each other. Best practices collected during the nomination and award process are shared broadly with other stakeholders and partners.

If you know of an individual or a community that deserves recognition through the 2024 Roger Cyr Award, please click here to submit a nomination today. The nomination deadline is June 30, 2025.