2020 Continuing Contribution Award

Trained at Saskatchewan Technical Institute, Moose Jaw, in Radio, Television, and Electronics, Dave Lepard worked at USask (1968-2003) as an Audio-Visual Technician, first in the Division of Audio-Visual Services, later in the College of Medicine. In the union for support workers, CLC Local 54 (later CUPE 1975), he served on the Bargaining Committee, the Bursary Committee, as Treasurer for two terms, and, ably assisted by his wife Connie, as co-editor with Tonya Kaye of the newsletter The Skopein. He was often elected delegate to local, provincial, and national labour conventions. His nominators Mary Dykes and Tonya Kaye have found him “a strong supporter of women in the trade union movement and … of equality in the workplace.” They remark, “His community has been the labour movement” both before and after his career.

In retirement, while keeping in touch with CUPE 1975, he turned his energy to the Saskatoon and District Council of Union Retirees (SDCUR), serving as Recording Secretary (from 2014) and delegate to the Retired Steelworkers Saskatoon District Council. He continued to attend the Steelworkers annual meetings after SDCUR was disbanded in 2017. Dave has also served on Boards of the Funeral Advisory and Memorial Society of Saskatchewan and of Biggar Community Health Services. As an active member of the (Saskatoon) Affinity Credit Union and of Saskatoon Co-op, he recruited people for their boards who were sympathetic to employee issues. And he has worked in election campaigns for MLA and MP candidates who supported the labour movement.

In the University of Saskatchewan Non-Academic Retirees Association (USNARA), Dave served on the Bursary Committee (2006-16) and as President (2015-17). His colleagues on the Board found “his friendly manner contagious and inspiring.” As USNARA faced dwindling membership and difficulty recruiting leaders, “he provided energy and leadership that kept the small group together”, and “was the voice to the NARA members that promoted the plan to merge” with USRA in 2017 to form one retiree association for all University of Saskatchewan employees. USRA is grateful for his role in bringing our associations together.