The career of Niagara College Electronic Engineering Technology and Technician professor Stéfane Filion was celebrated at the Canada Wide Science Fair where Filion took to the stage to accept the 2024 Youth Science Canada Distinguished Service Award.
“Stefane Filion has played a significant role in regional, national, and international STEM fairs for over thirty years,” said Nancy Hermans, NRSEF Chair, in her address to attendees.
A career that started in high school, Filion earned four gold medals over four years competing at the Canada Wide Science Fair. He was also a finalist of Team Canada-International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and received grand award prizes.
“Stef’s passion for science fairs led him to become greatly involved in Team Canada-ISEF and the Niagara Regional Science and Engineering Fair,” said Hermans.
Competing is a family affair. Fillion shared two of the gold medal wins with his sister, with whom he competed at the European Young Scientist in Italy in 1998. Filion’s father, Jean-Marc Fillion, a science teacher and passionate promoter of STEM in North Bay, also received the Distinguished Service Award in 2005. Fillion’s daughters also compete in STEM fairs and will represent Canada at the Regeneron ISEF in Los Angeles in May.
“I grew up in a science home,” explains Fillion. “My father brought us along to sample lots of Ontario lakes for zooplankton and phytoplankton. We swam lakes identifying spawning beds for various fish species.”
Filion was elected to the Board of Directors in May 2002 and served his term for three years. He was a Team Canada-ISEF chaperone from 2004-2014, and he became the ISEF Fair Director from 2007-2014. Filion also served on the Team Canada-ISEF Selection Panel from 2001-2022. He was also a member of the Scientific Review Committee in 2001 and then from 2008-2022.
“I’ve enjoyed knowing Stef since he was a Canada-Wide Science Fair finalist from North Bay and watching his development and remarkable contributions to youth STEM, STEM fairs, and Youth Science Canada,” said Reni Barlow, Executive Director, Youth Science Canada.
“The School of Technology at Niagara College is proud to acknowledge the tireless volunteer work of Professor Filion to advance and promote science and technology in the Niagara Region and around the world,” said Duane Bender, Associate Dean of Technology at NC. “Stefane’s contributions span many decades and have influenced generations of young scientists and technologists locally. We are proud to have Stefane as one of our esteemed faculty at Niagara College.”
Filion was involved in the Niagara Regional Science and Engineering Fair (NRSEF) first as a committee member starting in 2007 and then he took on the role of Judge-in-Chief from 2009 until 2015. During this time, Filion helped implement a new registration system and recruited new judges to help at the regional fair. Filion also assisted with the preparation of NRSEF finalists that moved onto the Canada Wide Science Fair.
Filion holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Western University and a Master of Applied Science – Mineral Resources Engineering from Laurentian University.
“The greatest experience for me was bringing the next generations to ISEF and helping them do their best,” said Fillion. “I’ve met absolutely incredible people across all of Canada. I was lucky to be able to do 10 years of chaperoning before passing the flame to other ISEF alumni.”
