Each year the OFL awards two scholarships in honour of five distinguished trade unionists.

The 2005 awards are given in honour of Judy D’Arcy, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Susan Giampietri, Public Service Alliance of Canada, Neville Hamilton, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, John McEwen, Cornwall & District Labour Council (deceased) and Ted Roscoe, Service Employees International Union (deceased).

Applications for the scholarships were to include a 1,000 word essay on, “What role should trade unions have in contributing and demystifying the barriers that affect youth from accessing post secondary education?”

This year’s winners are:

Erik Koopmans from Whitby who is enrolled at McGill University in Montreal for a four year Bachelor of Arts & Science program majoring in physics and music, and Brian Slack from Sarnia who is entering a Bachelor of Technology Program in Computer Information Systems at RCC Institute of Technology in Concord, Ontario.

Good luck to both Erik and Brian in their studies.