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Municipality OHS Specialist Erin Gillis Wins Safety Award

Safety award honourees including Municipality OHS Specialist Erin Gillis (far right) at the 2019 Safety First in Cape Breton Symposium. Photo: Cape Breton Partnership
SYDNEY, N.S. – On May 15th, 2019, the Cape Breton Partnership in collaboration with the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education and the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia welcomed over 200 delegates from all over Cape Breton Island to Cape Breton University in Sydney for the 7th annual Safety First in Cape Breton Symposium. Among the delegates was Municipality of the County of Inverness Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Erin Gillis.
Originally from Southwest Margaree, Erin has worked for several large-scale manufacturing firms in Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia, before returning to her roots and joining the Municipality of the County of Inverness team in 2018. Her dedication to ensuring the health and safety of her Municipal colleagues earned her the Engagement Ally Award at the 2019 Safety First in Cape Breton Awards. It also represents the first Safety First in Cape Breton award merited by a Municipality or an employee of a Municipality.
The Engagement Ally Award is given to ‘training providers or OH&S managers who have done a superior job educating clients or employees about the importance of creating a positive workplace health and safety culture [and] have created a culture where people feel valued, respected, and satisfied in their jobs while working in a safe and healthy environment’ (Safety First Cape Breton, 2019).
“Ms. Gillis embodies all these qualities and more,” said Keith MacDonald, CAO of the Municipality of the County of Inverness. “The occupational health and safety of team members is a priority at the Municipality of the County of Inverness, and the Municipality is proud to have a leader like Ms. Gillis on the team and wishes to congratulate her on being honoured with this well-deserved award.”
“The Cape Breton Partnership is very proud of the Safety First in Cape Breton Award winners, especially the Municipality of the County of Inverness’ own Erin Gillis,” said Carla Arsenault, President and CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership. “Though Ms. Gillis is at the beginning of her work in establishing inverness County as a standard in Municipal workplace health and safety, her dedication and passion for safety were noted in two separate nominations in support of this well-earned recognition. On behalf of the Cape Breton Partnership, and our partners at the Department of Labour and Advanced Education and the Workers Compensation Board of Nova Scotia, I wish to again congratulate Ms. Gillis and the Municipality on this award.”
The Cape Breton Partnership is Cape Breton-Unama’ki’s private sector-led economic development organization, and can be found at www.capebretonpartnership.com. For more information on the Safety First in Cape Breton Symposium and the award winners, visit www.safetyfirstcapebreton.com.
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