Humber alumnus Mark Cameron’s impressive list of accolades just got a little longer after he was named to the Order of Canada.
Cameron, who graduated from Humber’s Primary Care Paramedic program in 1989, has been appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. The Order of Canada annually recognizes people across all sectors of society who have made extraordinary and sustained contributions to the country and is one of Canada’s highest civilian honours.
“Receiving the Order of Canada acknowledges my work while highlighting the collective efforts of an extensive team of dedicated professionals who work alongside me,” said Cameron. “It puts our mission and achievements on the map and I am grateful to be recognized with this honour."
Cameron spent more than three decades working as a paramedic with Peterborough Emergency Medical Services and in his hometown of Hastings, as well as Hastings County. He’s also the program lead for the Sunnybrook Pediatric Advanced Life Support education program and a graduate of the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma.
Cameron is the co-founder and co-president of the Canadian International Medical Relief Organization (CIMRO), an organization that provides medical supplies and training for medical teams worldwide including in Syria. Workers with the organization have administered polio vaccines to more than 1.4 million children in the country.
The organization also monitors and reports on infectious disease in the region and trains frontline health-care providers in battlefield medicine.
He, along with CIMRO co-founders Dr. Khaled Almilaji and Dr. Jay Dahman, received a Meritorious Service Medal in 2017 for their work with the organization.
In 2014, Cameron was also honoured with a Medal of Bravery for helping rescue a child whose foot had become trapped in a piece of farm machinery near Havelock, east of Peterborough, Ontario.
He was also a recipient of a 2022 Premier’s Award.
Cameron’s humanitarian work has been recognized by the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the Canadian and British governments. He has also worked in Ukraine to assist in providing lifesaving care for orphaned children.
“Mark's dedication, bravery and humanitarian efforts exemplify the values we strive to instill in all our students here at Humber,” said Ann Marie Vaughan, president and CEO of Humber. “His remarkable career serves as an inspiration to the Humber community and beyond and we are honoured to have played a part in his journey.”
The proud Humber alumnus hopes his career serves as inspiration for other paramedics and shows them that they have the skills and knowledge to thrive in the health-care sector.
“We can contribute to health care in many, many ways,” said Cameron. “I want paramedics to see they can do anything because they have the base to be able to branch out into many different medical careers.”
Last year, three people with Humber connections were appointed to the Order of Canada – George Stroumboulopoulos, Mi’kmaw Elder Albert Marshall and Lillie Johnson.
Earlier this year, two Humber graduates – Carrie Baker and Michael Sanderson – were awarded with 2023 Premier’s Awards. It was the seventh year in a row that at least one Humber graduate won the prestigious award.