Cambrian College Professor, Student Earn Community Awards from Sudbury Police

SUDBURY – A Cambrian College faculty member and student are among this year’s recipients of the 2023 Greater Sudbury Police Service Community Awards.

Jennifer O’Neill of Belleville is a student in Cambrian’s Social Services Worker – Indigenous Specialization program. She was given the Nicole Bélair Service Above-Self Award which recognizes an act of personal courage.

Last year, O’Neill rescued a child from a serious accident, pulling her to safety.

“I just feel that the Creator knew, in that moment, for me to just do it and it was going to work,” says O’Neill, who is Metis. “It feels good to know that she is OK.”

Thomas Kingston is a faculty member in Cambrian’s School of Justice, Community Services and General Studies. He is the recipient of the Police Community Leader Award in recognition of unselfish assistance provided to the Greater Sudbury Police Service.

Since 2018, Kingston had attended every GSPS recruitment event on his own time to learn more about the selection process so that he can promote GSPS as an employer to students enrolled at Cambrian. Outside of recruitment events, Thomas offers his time to prospective applicants so that they are well-prepared for the selection process and comfortable with the equipment and requirements.

Kingston is using the occasion of winning this award to pay tribute to one of his colleagues and mentors. Al Bonhomme, a faculty member in Cambrian’s Police Foundations program, passed away earlier this month.

“It is a great honour to receive this award,” says Kingston. “There’s no greater pleasure than working with our amazing students and faculty at Cambrian, alongside an organization like the GSPS, all to make our city a great place to live and work in policing. I also want to dedicate this award to Al Bonhomme. Al was always someone I have looked up to since beginning my journey at Cambrian, preparing students for a long, prosperous, career in policing. Al’s passion for helping others was contagious and through working alongside him, I was truly able to understand the value of helping others to make our community a safer place.”

“Community safety and well-being are truly a shared commitment and without the dedication of community members like Jennifer O’Neill and Thomas Kingston, we would not have the community partnerships that we have today,” says Paul Pedersen, chief of the Greater Sudbury Police Service. “We are honoured to present Jennifer and Thomas with our Service Above- Self and Community Leader awards. They are truly making our city a better place.”

“Being part of the Cambrian community also means playing a larger part in the success of the Greater Sudbury community,” says Kristine Morrisey, President of Cambrian College. “Both Jennifer and Thomas embody this spirit and we are very proud of them. They are wonderful citizens and ambassadors for Cambrian.”

To learn more about Police Foundations at Cambrian or the 90 other programs the college has to offer, visit: https://cambriancollege.ca/programs/.