Estevan’s police chief has been recognized for his commitment to law enforcement that has spanned more than a quarter century.
Paul Ladouceur was invested as a member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces on Thursday during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Ladouceur said it was pretty humbling and impressive experience.
“It’s quite an opportunity. I had the opportunity to meet the governor general (Julie Payette), and Brenda Lucki, who is the commissioner of the RCMP, presented me with the Order. So it was quite an experience.”
The nominations for the award are typically filled out in confidence, and Ladouceur’s was no different. He has some suspicions as to who nominated him, but he doesn’t know for certain.
“I think it’s probably safe to say it was somebody who knows my history and knows me well through the policing profession,” said Ladouceur.
After he was nominated, there was a screening process to determine whether Ladouceur met the criteria. At that time, it was decided he was a deserving recipient.
During his 26-year career, Ladouceur has had some diverse experiences. He was involved with the early stages of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, setting up diversion programs for youths to keep them from facing criminal charges; a national research project on the effectiveness of helicopters in policing; and he has been a part of major case investigations, including homicides, that led to convictions and brought closure to families of victims.
He has also been surrounded by some great people in his policing career.
“Policing doesn’t get done by one person, it gets done by great teams,” he said. “I think that I’ve been very fortunate to work with some of the best teams within policing over the course of my career. I think although I’m the fortunate recipient, it doesn’t happen individually.”
Policing is not an easy profession. He has made a lot of sacrifices during his life for the profession, and his family has made sacrifices as well.
“This does cause you to pause and think about just how much you have contributed,” said Ladouceur. “And when I say contributed, I don’t mean doing superhero stuff, it’s a case of what you give up and what you sacrifice to ensure safe communities and ensure that people are well looked after in this country.”
And even when the police deals with angry or disgruntled people, it’s important to realize that the majority of the public appreciates the work that officers perform.
“I think it’s still a very noble profession, and I can’t thank the men and women who do this on a local, provincial and national level every day, and commit their lives to this profession. In my view, there’s no greater respect that I have.
Ladouceur was one of 36 new members invested. One person was promoted to commander and three moved up to officer. One of the new officers was Moose Jaw Police Chief Richard Bourassa.
In addition to Bourassa, there were a number of other people present that Ladouceur has met in his career.
“Some colleagues from London (Ontario) Police when I worked with the London Police Service were there, some friends from Victoria Police were there receiving it as well, and Mark Fisher, who is the commanding officer for the Saskatchewan RCMP was also there, receiving the Order of Merit.”
The Order of Merit of the Police Forces was created in 2000 to recognize merit and exceptional service by members and employees of Canadian police forces whose contributions extend beyond protection of the community.
The member level recognizes exceptional service or performance of duty over an extended period, usually at the local or regional/provincial level.
