Public Heroes GTA – Selection Committee

IDI GTA has been giving Public Heroes Awards since 2011 to recognize the outstanding service of Toronto Police, Fire and Paramedic Services. In 2014, upon recommendation from its advisory board, IDI GTA has decided to extend the scope of the awards to whole Greater Toronto Area.

The goal of the awards is to recognize the dedication and excellence of individual members or team members of police, fire and paramedic services in GTA (including Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP, OPP, ORNGE, HMCS YORK and Corrections Ontario) for delivering their services in an ethnically and culturally diverse environment.

Award recipients are selected by a hosting & selection committee based the following three criteria: “Altruism”, “Dedication” and “Community Involvement”.

Members of the Hosting & Selection Committee

Armand La Barge    Retired Chief, York Regional Police
Bill Blair    MP, Scarborough Southwest
Brad Bowie   Retired PCP, Peel Regional Paramedic Services
Bruce Farr    Retired Chief, Toronto Paramedic Services
Bruce Newton    Retired Superintendent, Toronto Paramedic Services
Colin Carrie    Member of Parliament, Oshawa
Daisy Wai   MPP, Ontario Legislative Assembly
Dave Ralph    Retired Commander, Toronto Paramedic Services
Deryn Rizzi    Chief Mississauga Fire & Emergency Services
Johnny Bobbili    Constable, Toronto Police
Melanie Korach  Poet, teacher, author of Life Lines & Spirit
Rose Buhagiar    Retired Director, Toronto South Detention Centre
Usha George    Dean, Faculty of Community Services, Toronto Metropolitan University

Nominations, Selection Process and Awards
One staff member or a team from each service in all four regions of GTA (Peel, York, Toronto, Durham) as well as members of RCMP, OPP, ORNGE, HMCS YORK and Correctional Services will be awarded with Public Heroes Award.  Nominations will be submitted online by members of the public or peers. The selection committee will cast their votes online to determine the award recipients.

Every year IDI Toronto organizes a media launch to kick off the nomination process for Public Heroes Awards. This event is also the venue for recognition of the youth, future Public Heroes.

Intercultural Dialogue Institute (IDI) Regina organized the first public heroes award ceremony with the participation of government of Saskatchewan ministers, the mayor of Regina, and general directors of Regina Police Department, Regina Paramedic Service and Regina Fire Department.

Public Heroes GTA 2016 Awards Ceremony was held on April 14, 2016 at Mississauga Convention Centre. 16 heroes from several services across the GTA were presented Public Heroes Awards. Click on the picture to see the list of award recipients along with photos and videos from the awards ceremony.