Peter Williamson Bursary

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.

• One (1) bursary is available for a short track skater on the national or development team
• One (1) bursary is available for a long track skater on the national or NextGen team

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. 

Eligibility

In order to be considered for the Peter Williamson Memorial Bursary, an athlete must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Be a registered member in good standing of Speed Skating Canada
• Be a member for the upcoming season of the short track national or development team; or of the long track national or NextGen team
• Be enrolled in, or demonstrate the intention to enroll in, a post-secondary educational institution for the coming year or semester and provide proof from that institution

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.

Application Process

THE APPLICATION WINDOW FOR THIS AWARD IS NOW OPEN. 

Athletes are invited to submit their application for the Peter Williamson Memorial Bursary using an ONLINE FORM. Applications will be accepted between July 12, 2021 and August 8, 2021.

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.).

Selection Process

The candidates will be ranked by the selection committee based on how the information in their application form meets the following criteria.

• Combination of high level athletic and scholastic achievements
• Commitment to balancing training, competing and schoolwork
• Contributions to the speed skating community in a coaching or volunteering capacity
• Ability to communicate well with coaches, staff members, teammates and classmates
• Ability to demonstrate leadership qualities both on and off the ice

A panel consisting of the following individuals will be responsible for reviewing all applications and selecting the recipients:

• A representative of the trust fund donors (Williamson-Derraugh Family)
• A representative of the skaters (SSC Athlete Director)
• A representative of the short track high performance program
• A representative of the long track high performance program

More Information

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.

• If in the judgment of the Selection Committee there is no candidate(s) of sufficient merit to warrant receiving the bursary, the monies available will be carried over to the following year and will be allocated at the discretion of the committee.
• If in the discretion of the Selection Committee it seems desirable to make more than two awards available, the monies available for the bursaries may be divided between all of the selected candidates.

Past Award Recipients