In 1992, the Board of Directors of Speed Skating Canada (SSC) unanimously endorsed the establishment of a trust fund in memory of Peter Williamson (1946-1991), which has been used since then to offer two (2) annual bursaries of $1,500 each to deserving and promising speed skaters.
The late Peter Williamson was a champion skater and member of Canada's Olympic team at the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble, France. He later coached the Manitoba provincial team and occupied the role of Technical Director for both the Manitoba Speed Skating Association and the Canadian Amateur Speed Skating Association. He was inducted into the SSC Hall of Fame as a builder in 1992 and his family (Williamson-Derraugh Family) received the Gagné Family Award in 2019, which celebrates families that have made an exceptional contribution to the development of our sport.
Williamson was very much aware of the importance of a good education. He was of the opinion that sport and education, in varying forms, could be combined to truly stimulate success in each other. Since being established in 1992, the Peter Williamson Memorial Bursary has supported the educational pursuits of over 70 national team athletes, many of whom have gone off to represent Canada on the World Cup circuit and at the Olympic Games.
In order to be considered for the Peter Williamson Memorial Bursary, an athlete must meet the following eligibility requirements:
An athlete may only receive the Peter Williamson Memorial Bursary a maximum of two (2) times throughout their career and will not be awarded a bursary in back-to-back years.
Athletes are invited to submit their application for the Peter Williamson Memorial Bursary using this ONLINE FORM.
Each application must be accompanied by two (2) letters of support or testimonials from individuals with a close relationship to the athlete (e.g.: coach, teacher, professor, teammate, community leader, etc.).
All applications must be submitted by midnight EST on Sunday, August 9, 2020.
The candidates will be ranked by the selection committee based on how the information in their application form meets the following criteria.
A panel consisting of the following individuals will be responsible for reviewing all applications and selecting the recipients:
Speed Skating Canada reserves the right to modify the distribution terms of the bursaries if it becomes necessary to do so. Such modifications shall conform as closely as possible to the expressed intention of the donors in establishing the bursaries.
Year | Long Track | City, Province | Short Track | City, Province |
2019 | Connor Howe | Canmore, AB | Mathieu Bernier | Montreal, QC |
2018 | Isabelle Weidemann | Ottawa, ON | Steven Dubois | Lachenaie, QC |
2017 | Alexandre St-Jean | Quebec, QC | Pascal Dion | Montreal, QC |
2016 | Alex Boisvert-Lacroix Richard Maclennan | Sherbrooke, QC Sault Ste. Marie, ON | Patrick Duffy Valérie Maltais | Oakville, ON La Baie, QC |
2015 | Ivanie Blondin | Ottawa, ON | Samuel Bélanger-Marceau | Saint-Bruno de Montarville, QC |
Alec Janssens | Chilliwack, B.C. | Namasthée Harris-Gauthier | Montréal, QC | |
2014 | Tori Spence | Kamloops, B.C. | Sébastien Landry | Montréal, QC |
Richard MacLennan | Sault Ste. Marie, ON | |||
Tyler Williamson-Derraugh | Winnipeg, MB | |||
2013 | Alec Janssens | Chilliwack, B.C. | Alexandre St. Jean | Quebec City |
Lauren McGuire | Ottawa | Gabrielle Waddell | Red Deer, Alta. | |
2012 | Laurent Durbeuil | Levis, Que. | François Hamelin | Sainte-Julie, Que. |
Brittany Schussler | Winnipeg | Valerie Lambert | Sherbrooke, Que. | |
2011 | Danielle Wotherspoon | Red Deer, Alta. | Gabrielle Waddell | Red Deer, Alta. |
Jamie Gregg | Edmonton | Guillaume Bastille | Rivière-du-Loup, Que. | |
2010 | Lucas Makowsky | Regina | Guillaume Bastille | Rivière-du-Loup, Que. |
François-Olivier Roberge | St-Nicolas, Que. | Valerie Lambert | Sherbrooke, Que. | |
2009 | Vincent Labrie | St-Romuald, Que. | Guillaume Bastille | Rivière-du-Loup, Que. |
Alex Boisvert-Lacroix | Sherbrooke, Que. | |||
Valerie Lambert | Sherbrooke, Que. | |||
2008 | Lucas Makowsky | Regina | Andrea Do-Duc | Montreal |
Mathieu Giroux | Pointe-aux-Trembles, Que. | |||
2007 | Lucas Makowsky | Regina | Jean-François Monette | Pointe-aux-Trembles, Que. |
Valerie Lambert | Sherbrooke, Que. | |||
Annik Plamondon | Longueuil, Que. | |||
2006 | Cailean Duggan | Ottawa | Annik Plamondon | Longueuil, Que. |
Anne Maltais | Quebec | |||
Jean-François Monette | Pointe-aux-Trembles, Que. | |||
2005 | Mark Jesney | Saskatoon | Mathieu Giroux | Montreal |
Shannon Sibold | Calgary | Anouk Leblanc-Boucher | Prevost, Que. | |
2004 | Emilie Nadeau-Benoît | Montreal | ||
Mathieu Giroux | Montreal | |||
2003 | Marilou Asselin | Sainte-Foy, Que. | Melanie Gagnon | Montreal |
Jean-Rene Belanger | Sherbrooke, Que. | Olivier Jean | Montreal | |
1999 | Jean-Rene Belanger | Fleurimont, Que. | Jeffrey Scholten | Fredericton, N.B. |
1998 | Valerie Lemieux | Montreal | Andrea Searles | Fredericton, N.B. |
1997 | Kristina Groves | Ottawa | Patrick Nussey | Fredericton, N.B. |
1996 | Sylvain Bouchard | Sainte-Foy, Que. | Carol Anne Chenard | Gloucester, Ont. |
1995 | Jason Parker | Melville, Sask. | Andrea Searles | Fredericton, N.B. |
1994 | Scott Van Horne | Winnipeg | Valerie Cavar | Ottawa |
1993 | David Allardice | Westfield, N.B. | ||
1992 | Karina Marceau | Charlesbourg, Que. |