Corporal Deborah Pond, Royal Canadian Mounted Police

THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD IS SPECIAL BECAUSE IT IS DEDICATED TO A WOMAN OFFICER WHO LOST HER LIFE LAST YEAR IN TORONTO WHILE ON DUTY. EARLY ON A MONDAY MORNING IN FEBRUARY OF 2002, 31-YEAR OLD CONSTABLE LAURA ELLIS AND HER PARTNER CONSTABLE RON TAIT WERE RESPONDING TO AN EMERGENCY CALL IN TORONTO'S EAST END. IT WOULD BE THE LAST CALL LAURA WOULD RESPOND TO. A HORRIFIC CRASH WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE TOOK HER LIFE. HER PARTNER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. INSTEAD OF LAURA COMING HOME TO HER HUSBAND TIM AND INFANT DAUGHTER PAIGE, CHIEF JULIAN FANTINO WAS THE ONE TO TELL THEM THAT THEIR WIFE AND MOTHER WOULD NOT BE COMING HOME ANYMORE. WHILE ON THE JOB ONLY FIVE YEARS LAURA HAD A DISTINCT IMPACT ON HER COLLEAGUES AND THE COMMUNITY. AS LAURA'S HUSBAND TIM SAID, "LAURA

L to R: Superintendent Rita Westbrook, Waterloo Regional Police, Corporal Deborah Pond, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Martin Weatherall, Director, Toronto Police Association

BELIEVED IN EQUALITY, JUSTICE AND FAMILY. SHE LIVED HER LIFE THAT WAY. SHE BELIEVED THAT YOU LIVE EACH AND EVERY DAY TRUE TO YOUR BELIEFS." "ALL SHE EVER ASKED WAS FOR YOU TO BE HONEST, FORTHCOMING AND TRUE TO YOURSELF AND TO YOUR FRIENDS." THE FIRST OF OUR CO-WINNERS IS A WOMAN WHOSE ATTITUDE AND ACTIONS HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS SELFLESS AND A STANDARD FOR OTHERS TO ASPIRE TOWARDS BOTH PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY. SHE HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE RCMP SINCE 1978 AND HAS BEEN STATIONED FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA TO ONTARIO. IN HER VARIOUS POSTING SHE ADTIVELY PARTICIPATES WITH PEOPLE AND EVENTS IN HER COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS WITH THE FAMILIES OF HER FELLOW OFFICERS. DESPITE A HEAVY CASELOAD IN HER PREENT ASSIGNMENT SHE CO-ORDINATES THE MEMBER EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ADVISING MEMBERS ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND ASSISTING WHEN NEEDED. WHETHER UPGRADING HER ACADEMIC SKILLS, TAKING ON EXTRA TASKS AT WORK OR PLANNING OFFICE SOCIAL EVENTS SHE IS A VERY POSITIVE PERSON WHO ALWAYS HAS A SMILE ON HER FACE. HER OUTGOING AND PLEASING PERSONALITY IS INFECTIOUS AND SHE IS A JOY TO BE AROUND. IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2001 SHE USED HER OWN HOLIDAY TIME TO TRAVEL TO KENYA ON A SELF-FUNDED VOLUNTEER MISSION WITH THE AFRICAN INLAND MISSION. THERE SHE SPENT TIME CATALOGUING A LOCAL HOSPITAL AND BIBLE COLLEGE LIBRARY. HER CO-WORKERS RAISED $700 TO HELP HER DEFRAY TO COST OF THE TRIP BUT THIS WOMAN USED THE MONEY TO BUY MUCH NEEDED ESSENTIALS FOR THE CHILDREN AND PEOPLE OF THE KENYAN COMMUNITY. THE REMAINING BALANCE WAS DONATED TO THE MEDICAL CENTRE AND CRIPPLED CHILDRENS CENTRE WHERE THE MONEY WAS USED TO BUY MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND LEG BRACES AND PROSTHETICS FOR THE CHILDREN. THIS WONDERFUL INDIVIDUAL IS PRESIDENT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BARRIE-MUSKOKA CHAPTER OF THE SUNSHINE DREAMS FOR KIDS, AN ORGANIZATION THAT MAKES DREAMS COME TRUE FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE CHALLENGED BY SEVER PHYSICAL DISABILITIES OR LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESSES. SHE IS ALSO A FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE CANADIAN ALOPECIA AREATA ASSOCIATION. HER PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH ALOPECIA UNIVERSALIS HAS ENABLED HER TO ADVISE WOMEN, CHILDREN AND MEN ON COPING WITH THE LOSS OF HAIR AND WEARING OF WIGS. HER MESSAGE TO THIS UNIQUE SECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY IS SIMPLY THAT "THERE IS LIFE AFTER HAIR LOSS". HER NOMINATOR DESCRIBES HER AS "THE REAL DEAL" - AN INDIVIDUAL MOST DESERVING OF RECOGNITION FOR HER SELFLESS AND TIRELESS COMMUNITY SERVICE. AND WE AGREE. THE LAURA ELLIS AWARD FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE IS PRESENTED TO CORPORAL DEBORAH POND OF THE RCMP TORONTO INTEGRTED PROCEEDS OF CRIME SECTION.