A few laughs, a few tears, a few challenge coins and a few doughnuts formed a suiting send-off for the outgoing members of the now-dissolved St. Albert Victim Services board of directors.
St. Albert’s is one of 62 such local victim service secretariats being replaced by four regional societies, a change announced by the provincial government in 2022. The board held its last meeting at Maloney Place, the St. Albert RCMP detachment, Oct. 3.
The volunteers for the most part and possibly to a person will remain the same, but will report instead to the newly created Central Alberta Regional Victim Serving Society.
The CARVSS, as it can be referred to, has as its mission ensuring “that victims of crime and tragic circumstances understand their rights, have access to available services, and are supported in navigating the criminal justice system.”
City Coun. Mike Killick expressed “profound thanks” for the organization’s years of service on behalf of Mayor Cathy Heron. He was joined in the audience by Couns. Shelley Biermanski, Wes Brodhead and Ken MacKay.
“I am truly grateful for the positive impact your work has had on people experiencing some of the most confusing, chaotic and challenging moments of their lives,” he said. “Our residents have been extremely fortunate to have had such a capable and dedicated group looking out for them over the past 31 years.
“Your legacy of helping victims of violent crime will last well beyond this final meeting.”
Staff Sgt. Dwayne Moore, who took over as acting St. Albert RCMP detachment commander Sept. 9, presented each of the departing and former board members recognized at the meeting with a challenge coin, signifying their new membership in a somewhat exclusive group.
“On behalf of the RCMP, I can’t say how grateful we are to have Victim Services,” he said, adding it was “amazing” to see all the same people in place as when he last acted as St. Albert detachment commander at the end of 2023. “It has been a difficult time with all of the unknowns, but all indications are that it has gone extremely well.”
He said he has worked in detachments that didn’t have access to victim services volunteers.
“When you don’t have victim services, you realize how much you need them.”
Outgoing chair Randy Black said the board’s focus during the transition was to make sure the victims of crime weren’t lost in the shuffle.
“It’s a credit to the new society how well the transition has gone, and how the focus on victims was maintained," he said. “It has been a tough few months for the board. It’s tough to maintain passion when you know you are no longer needed. It was hard, but we did it."
Black said early concerns that the new governance model would affect victims negatively, and that St. Albert would lose its autonomy within the CARVSS have so far proven unfounded.
He said there are people involved who are “individuals from St. Albert who live in St. Albert who are helping victims in St. Albert.”
