18 Branch members Chris Johnstone and Faye Robertson have become known as the glue that holds OPP Family/Vets Day together. 2021 marks the events eleventh year, with OPP Family/Vets Day being an annual opportunity for OPP colleagues to bring their families and friends together to share and celebrate their work, and their fantastic colleagues.
Under the leadership of Inspector (now retired) Dave Osborne, the first OPP Communicator’s Appreciation Family Day was celebrated at OPP General Headquarters in 2010. As a member of Orillia’s PCC, Faye Robertson immediately stepped up to help coordinate this fun day for colleagues. As a founding member of their in-house TEAM committee (“Together Everyone Achieves More”), Faye was regularly involved in developing and leading small activities to improve morale and engage staff in positive and rewarding ways. Creating a work environment that encourages positive engagement, and the correlation of self-care, has always been one of her passions. As lifelong friends, Faye immediately looped in her colleague, museum staff member Chris Johnstone, to see what resources she and the museum could contribute to the day – and Chris happily joined the team.
Considered a great success, the organizers voted not only to continue the tradition, but to expand their efforts beyond the Orillia Provincial Communications Centre to all of Central Region. Each year since, more activities, and more participants have been added.
OPP Family/Vets Day has grown into an impressive annual event that when last held in 2019 saw more than 900 current and retired members, their families and friends join together at GHQ to participate.
A passion project, Faye and Chris have the “can do” positive attitude needed to ensure the day comes together smoothly. From recruiting volunteers to filling their cars with BBQ supplies, each year the smiling faces and delighted kids make the planning and prep worthwhile. They are, however, always quick to point out how it would be impossible to make the event a success without the dedication and commitment of so many volunteers, and the leadership from former Executive chair, Chief Superintendent Marc Bedard (now retired), and the Branch Executive from Branch 18 and Branch 7. Each year they rely on the financial and volunteer support of these branches, as well as OPPA Head Office to ensure everyone is fed, and recognized. The participation of the OPPA Credit Union is also always a huge highlight and they work carefully to foster and maintain a positive relationship with the C.U. team. Each year as well, Faye and Chris are extremely mindful of the costs associated with hosting an event of this size and extra effort is spent to negotiate discounts, secure donations and find the most competitive pricing for all items purchased, without sacrificing quality.
Since the beginning, Faye and Chris have held leadership roles on the committee, even pulling in their own family members to ensure the event runs smoothly. In the early days, they supplied their own personal food coolers, folding tables, pop-up tents and lawn games – and are very proud of the OPP’s investment to expand these resources, demonstrating how important this “little employee recognition event” has become to so many. Literally hundreds of people have donated their time and energies to the event over the years, and while Covid-19 put a halt to plans for 2020 and 2021, there is no sign of it slowing down in the future.
Faye Robertson joined the OPP as a call taker and later a dispatcher in 2006. A gifted natural educator, she took on the role of technology trainer in 2010. In 2018 she accepted a learning and development opportunity with the newly formed Serious Fraud Office as the Training and Education Specialist. Never shying away from expanding her skills and challenging herself, Faye has greatly enjoyed her time with the OPP, tackling the new challenges of delivering critical front-line support training in a Covid-19 impacted environment, with her characteristic positive attitude and adaptability. Most recently she has accepted a learning and development opportunity in the Ontario Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Unit (ONCMPUR) as an Analyst. She is reviewing Missing and Missed, a civilian review of Missing Person Investigations within Toronto Police Service as a result of the Bruce McArthur murders. This task includes a review of the report and its 151 recommendations to identify the context with which the OPP is mentioned, as well as a review of current OPP and ONCMPUR policies and processes in an effort to identify any areas of enhancement to ensure alignment with the stated recommendations.
Her commitment to the OPP does not end with Family/Vets Day either. She regularly volunteers to support fundraising efforts for colleagues (like contributing to numerous bake sales and again, partnering with Chris to make hundreds of handmade greeting cards in support of the Friends of the OPP Museum) or throw in her support of building-wide initiatives for Federated Health or the United Way. And she can always be counted on by Friends of the OPP Museum to contribute ideas, and to volunteer her time for their many fundraising and celebratory initiatives.
Outside of OPP Family/Vets Day, Faye Robertson has demonstrated that she is just as generous with her time and commitment to giving back to her community outside of work. Locally, she is an active and dedicated member of her church community. She teaches, mentors and is a regular “go-to” for anyone in need. While she will always down-play the significance of her support of these endeavours, they are valued and appreciated far and wide by those who know her, and have benefitted from her generosity.
Faye’s community spirit is not limited to her local community. For decades, starting in her early twenties, Faye has travelled the world to participate in mission trips in support of a cause she believes in – making lives better for those who are in need. She has helped to build housing, deliver supplies to school children and sponsored the personal and spiritual growth of families half way around the world. It is work that drives her to be a better person, and a commitment she has made as a Christian to live her life with integrity.
Christine Johnstone first began working for the OPP in 1998, working for several years on a series of fixed term contracts primarily in the OPP Museum, but, also briefly as a monitor/transcriber in I&SB. She left the OPP in 2003 to earn her Bachelor of Education degree, but the OPP Museum continued to play an important role in her life, as she returned to work there each summer during breaks in her teaching career. In 2007, a new permanent, full-time, position was created in the Museum, and Chris made the difficult decision to leave teaching, and to return to her first passion, museum work. She has not regretted the decision, having worked her way up from the role of Museum Assistant to Collections Coordinator, and now serving as Museum Curator. She has also taken advantage of some opportunities within her Bureau, Corporate Communications, taking on short term roles as a Strategic Communications Officer and working on a special project to revamp the OPP.ca website as author, editor, and content coordinator. All were opportunities to expand her skillset and knowledge base about the organization.
Chris has been diligently splitting her time between working from her home and attending GHQ since the Covid pandemic changed the way many of us report to work. It has been a challenge to balance the needs of monitoring the museum’s collection and ensuring that new donations can still be accepted, with ensuring that provincial guidelines and recommendations are followed to protect the safety of all. Museum operations have none the less continued on “behind the scenes.” Chris is taking advantage of the time the museum has had to be closed to work on the research, writing and design of all new exhibits slated to open in the early fall of 2021 – which will come with some new display cases, fresh paint and lots of new and interesting stories!
With a history that stretches 22 years, she has worked for six Commissioners, and enjoyed collaborating with some fantastic people, building relationships with current and retired employees across all commands and the province, becoming known as a touchstone of corporate history and organizational support. Chris was honoured and humbled to be recognized by her peers as OPP Civilian of the Year in 2016, with support letters highlighting her passion and commitment to the OPP and her colleagues. She has become well known for her extensive Corporate knowledge about the organization, and her passion for sharing that knowledge with others.
Chris has also worked extensively with Friends of The OPP Museum – a registered charity that supports the preservation and sharing of OPP history across the province. While much of this support is tied into her role as Curator, it is clear to all involved that Chris’ passion for her work inspires her to go far beyond the bare minimum her work would require, donating her time and energies to support a cause she truly believes in. Chris has also been working with the dedicated volunteers who make up the Friends of The OPP Museum through virtual meetings and events supporting a number of projects – including a new digital newsletter and a “virtual” fun run. The Run with Friends rallied over 150 participants from all over the province to “come together – apart” to raise some much-needed funds for the charity who had primarily relied on in-person fundraisers in the past. Communicating with their supporters has required some innovation during the last year, and many of these lessons and skills that were developed will continue on as they look to continue to connect with their Provincial peers.
Outside of work, Chris has been volunteering with the Mariposa Arts Theatre (MAT) Film Nights committee for several years. This committee brings Toronto International Film Festival movies to Orillia’s big screens as a fundraiser to support local live theatre. As a committee member she helps to select the films, promotes and markets the screenings and sells tickets. A long-time film buff, Chris finds the experience of sharing these often challenging and thought-providing documentaries and films with an appreciate audience – which annually numbers in the thousands, who would otherwise not have these local opportunities to learn and engage.
Chris has also lent her talents to a number of local book publication projects, including volunteering her time to support author Jim Watt to create and publish a book honouring Orillia’s Fallen in World War II. A passion project for the author, Watt relied on Chris for proofing, photo editing, book design and layout out and, in one particular story, research content as one of the members featured was her great uncle. She has also supported the project by contributing to presentations to local community groups, including the Legion, in support of the book.
As mentioned earlier, Faye and Chris have truly been life-long friends. Having first met in the kindergarten classroom, they shared not only decades of classrooms, but also ended up working together in the same retail store after high school, and then coincidentally both ending up in careers with the OPP. It is this same commitment that they have for each other in friendship that has cemented their commitment to their broader OPP family – relationships that they consider the best part of their jobs.
The OPPA ‘Bill Elliott’ Member of the Year Award is presented annually to a member of our organization in recognition of their outstanding contributions to our membership and to the community.
Don Bissonnette began his policing career with the Ontario Provincial Police in 1988, and before retiring in 2019 served at the Espanola, Noelville and Sudbury detachments. Don specialized in TTCI, Breath Tech, Coach Officer, Crime Unit and Crimestoppers and also taught Investigations and Interviewing Skills as part of the Police Foundations Course at College Boreal in Sudbury.
Don began his service with the OPP Association in 1989 and served as a detachment representative at all three of his postings. Then taking the next steps up, Don served as secretary and vice-president of No.13 Branch before serving three terms as Branch President.
As president Don’s leadership skills were responsible for creating a more efficient and effective system of branch governance, replacing a longstanding operational deficit with a financial surplus and providing better overall services to all Branch members. Don’s tenure was marked by grace, dignity and a strong commitment to resolving workplace issue in the first instance whenever possible.
It is not unusual for any branch president to be regularly approached by his own members seeking insight and advice regarding the workplace. What is unusual is when similar inquiries come from members of the management team; yet, during Don’s tenures as branch president, that was often the case.
In addition to regular association duties Don also found time to organize the annual No. 13 Branch Hockey Tournament and the Ken Deane Memorial Golf Tournament.
Beyond the borders of No.13 Branch Don also served on a number of provincial committees including Strategic Planning, Northern Issues, Constitution & Bylaws and Scheduling. And once again his knowledge of the police workplace and his understanding of the association’s mandate proved to be valuable assets.
Don’s commitment to the community included volunteering his time coaching the Sudbury Lady Wolves hockey team and coaching in the Espanola Minor Hockey League.
Don Bissonnette was nominated for the 2020 OPP Association“Bill Elliott” Member of the Year Award by the entire No.13 Branch Executive. In their submission they described Don as a born leader, an excellent police officer who matched care and compassion with pride and professionalism during his thirty- plus years of law enforcement and his twenty-five years of association service.
The OPPA ‘Bill Elliott’ Member of the Year Award is presented annually to a member of our organization in recognition of their outstanding contributions to our membership and to the community.
During her thirty years as a member of the Ontario Provincial Police, Debbie Woodhouse also served as Local Chair for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) at the Provincial Police Academy in Brampton. While with OPSEU, Debbie played a lead role in safeguarding the jobs of the Academy’s civilian employees when the Academy’s operations moved to Orillia in 1996. Six years later, the OPP’s 2,000 civilian employees opted out of OPSEU and became members of the OPP Association.
In 2012, Debbie was elected to the position of Civilian Director for No. 18 Branch, and in 2014 was acclaimed as Branch Secretary. Her organizational skills and willingness to tackle the most difficult challenges made an immediate impact on the Branch and today, over five years later, remain the hallmarks of her Association service.
Debbie’s volunteerism is unparalleled. With an annual commitment of over five hundred hours, Debbie has offered her services to a number of charitable organizations including Beta Sigma Phi a women’s organization which fundraises for a number of worthwhile community initiatives, the Terry Fox Run, Relay for Life support, Canadian Cancer Society OPP United Way, Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital Mental Health Unit and the North Simcoe Victim Crisis Services, Bras for Cause and the list goes on and on.
Debbie’s dedication to our membership and her commitment to the community exemplify in every way the intent and spirit of the OPPA ‘Bill Elliott’ Member of the Year Award. Her impact on others is best described in the words of a co-worker who when asked about Debbie said “…You meet thousands of people, and none of them really touch you and then you meet one person, and your life is changed forever…that is Debbie Woodhouse.
Cathy Furioso joined the OPPA in 2002 when the Association assumed the role as bargaining agent for our OPP civilian members. Prior to joining the Association, Sister Furioso was actively involved in the labour movement with OPSEU. Her passion in this area along with serving members in need continued when she joined the OPPA. Sister Furioso’s enthusiasm and compassion for members is beyond words. She has often been referred to as the mother hen of the Branch. Cathy spends a lot of her time engaging management on the cusp of employee relations to ensure positive outcomes for both employee and employer. It’s important to note that her warm and welcoming demeanour is backed up with a strong drive to support members at any costs. Sister Furioso epitomizes the labour relations mantra that labour negotiations require a velvet glove and an iron fist. Don’t under estimate her compassion for strong will.
Cathy has been a strong and constant fixture in Branch 16. She attended her first SBM and AGM in 2003 and has been actively involved with the Association ever since. She has worked tirelessly in supporting the members of her Branch as their Branch Secretary & Treasurer. Cathy held a pivotal role in encouraging and supporting former and current Branch Presidents in learning the ropes of the OPPA at the local and provincial level.
On a regular basis, Sister Furioso goes out of her way to check on members who are off or struggling with accommodation issues purely out of compassion. She has even been referred to as a “SAINT” for calling and checking in on members who are on leave.
Sister Furioso has been a part of several committees and recently assisted with Branch Modernization which will hopefully see the restructure of our organization into the future.
Furthermore Sister Furioso has been an active participant in assisting in the Thunder Bay law enforcement tournament for the past 5 years and has been instrumental in organizing volunteers, prizes and venues to ensure the tournament is a success every year.
We can not think of a more deserving member than Sister Furioso to receive this prestigious award. We all know Cathy and she always greats everyone at the OPPA meetings with a big hug and tons of enthusiasm.
We are very pleased that Cathy’s husband Bill (a.k.a. Pumpkin) could join us this evening from Thunder Bay to share this special honour with his wife.
Ladies and gentleman, please join me in congratulating the 2018 OPPA “Bill Elliott” Member of the Year Award recipient, Sister Cathy Furioso.
Carol Mitchell has served the people of this province for over 40 years. That itself is something to be very proud of. Carol started her policing career as a civilian member with Haldimand-Norfolk Police Service in June 1974, followed by a tenure with the Tillsonburg Police Service in December 1978 before joining the OPP in January 1983. During her OPP career, Carol was stationed in various locations including Woodstock, Simcoe, Burlington DHQ Communications and London PCC.
Prior to joining the OPPA in January 2002, Carol was a representative with OPSEU and played an integral role in transitioning our civilian members to the Association. At the branch level, Carol became 1 of 2 civilians assigned to assist the members of No. 2 Branch Executive. She attended her 1st OPPA (Spring Board) in May 2002 and has attended many spring and fall board meetings ever since.
Carol was elected to the position of Civilian Executive Officer for #2 Branch Executive and has remained serving in this capacity until present day.
Carol has travelled the province and North America participating in police related events including numerous Brotherhood nights in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Windsor and Erie, Pennsylvania over the last few decades with the utmost pride and professionalism. She has been assigned to a number of special events including the Economic Summit in Toronto, Hagersville tire fire, Jarvis gas explosion and the Caledonia occupation where she offered her services to communities in need. She is a compassionate and hard working individual who always considers the well being of others. Carol is passionate about her work in every way. Her dedication and devotion to the members she serves is a testament to her character.
During her career, Carol has received a number of awards including the Commissioner’s Citation in Oct 1998 for her participation on a Middlesex murder investigation in October 1997 and was the recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubiliee Medal.
Throughout her career, Carol has worked tirelessly fighting for equality and members’ rights on a number of contentious issues. She has been a mentor to new Association representatives and has counselled each one in the use and application of the Collective Agreement, WDHP Policy, WSIB, Short Term and Long Term Illness benefits. Carol’s guidance to new members and new representatives alike has been unparalleled and invaluable.
In her spare time, Carol has become an avid traveller to the sunny south with many trips to Cuba. She currently is enjoying spending time relaxing at her timeshare in Arizona.
Please join us in congratulating Carol Mitchell, your 2017 OPPA “Bill Elliott” Member of the Year.
Elizabeth Foster has been employed as a civilian member with the OPP Academy since November 1990. Throughout her career, Elizabeth has sat on a number of committees and was instrumental in the development of many OPP courses which are still in use today.
She became involved in the Association in 2007 when she was elected to the position of Civilian Director; a post that she held for four years.
Following her tenure as Civilian Director, Elizabeth spent the next five years representing the members of No. 18 Branch as Vice-President, where she worked diligently on their behalf providing guidance and support whenever it was needed. Her dedication to others is a testament to her character and is truly an achievement in itself. She has attended both Spring and Fall Board Meetings and proudly represented her branch at a number of National Police Memorial services in Ottawa.
She has always embraced higher education, completing various courses on her own time and successfully graduated from the OPP Association PACE program. Her formal paper, titled “Offender Transport Recruit Training” showcases her commitment to teaching and higher learning.
She has volunteered her time on a number of OPP related committee including the 18 Branch Members’ Christmas Party Committee for 7 year and OPP day, just to name a few.
Most notably, Elizabeth has been a member of the Joint Civilian Training Committee with OPPA where she represented the OPP on civilian training initiatives. As a result of her participation, over 350 administrative staff were afforded additional training. She has served on this committee since 2010 and continues to represent our civilian members today.
Actively involved in her community, Elizabeth has volunteered for the past eight years on the Executive Committee for the Orillia Community Winter Carnival where she centered on coordinating security, volunteers and fundraising.
Her work speaks for itself and her accomplishments stand on their own merit.
Ladies and gentlemen, please join with me in congratulating the 2016 OPPA “Bill Elliott Member of the Year recipient, Elizabeth Foster.
Congratulations Elizabeth!
Jason Delorme has been involved with the Association for 7 years. He began as a Detachment Representative of the Provincial Communications Centre in Smiths Falls and is currently in his second term as Civilian Director for #10S Branch. As a real team player, Jason continually assists neighbouring branches in everything from member issues to computer programming. He also shares his culinary skills, acting as the local Branch Chef.
Jason is a twelve year member of the Provincial Communication Centre where he has been called upon several times to assume the role of Acting Supervisor. He was instrumental in the production and delivery of the “Bridging the Gap” presentation, which launched the inception of a two way communications strategy, articulating a clear plan of approach regarding roles and responsibility for uniform and civilian members during the unfolding of a priority event.
Throughout his career, Jason has worn many hats and received numerous awards including that of Coach Mentor, Certified Health and Safety Rep, proud graduate of the OPPA PACE Program and was a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. Jason was also a recipient of Commissioner’s Citation for Life Saving award after he utilized his skills in technology to save a suicidal person.
In his spare time, Jason is also a proud eight year member of The Ontario Provincial Police Auxiliary Unit. He was instrumental in the development and implementation of an on-line event tracking and booking system that assisted with instant and effective communication amongst members.
Jason is married to Pam and has 2 daughters Ashley and Maddy. His tireless work is also noted in his personal life citing his involvement in a large number of community based events in the Smiths Falls area.
Please join us in congratulating Jason Delorme as this year’s recipient of the OPPA Bill Elliott Member of the Year award.
Provincial Constable Mark Dew joined the OPP in November of 1984. Mark has been in regular attendance at # 1 Branch, Lambton County OPPA meetings and assists in all charitable events to further the image of the OPPA and its members in our communities, including Cops and Kids Cooking in local high schools, Cops and Kids fishing, Cops for Cancer and Big Bike for Heart and Stroke events. As the Crime Stoppers coordinator for Sarnia-Lambton, Mark is the face and voice of our members on local radio and cable television and a goodwill ambassador and liaison between our members and the Sarnia Police Service.
On a provincial scale, as a member of the Commissioner’s Own Pipe and Drums, Mark is front and center at graduations, police funerals, memorial services and Remembrance Day services. During a brief absence from the band, Mark received a personal invitation to return to the Commissioner’s Own band. Mark piped Bill in on a number of occasions and we all know how much Bill loved the Scottish bagpipes.
As much as Mark has been a visible presence in the roles noted above, we would like to acknowledge Mark’s efforts behind the scenes in supporting our members. Mark has been an exceptional member of the former Peer Support Program in the early 90’s through its evolution to our current Critical Incident Stress Responder program within the Employee assistance Program. In this role, Mark has supported our members in a compassionate and confidential manner through a wide array of personal and professional issues both individually and in group defusing and debriefing sessions. His calming and compassionate presence at such horrific events as the September 1999 multi-vehicle “fog crash” collision on Hwy 401 outside of Windsor where 7 members of the public lost their lives brought a sense of strength and support to our members. The murder of Provincial Constable Jim McFadden on December 31, 1999 followed six months later with the death of Sgt Margaret Eve, both members from Chatham-Kent Detachment, demonstrated a commitment above and beyond by Mark through his confidential support of many uniform and civilian members affected by these tragic deaths. He again demonstrated his strong support for our members following the death of 15 migrant workers in a motor vehicle collision in Perth County, supporting those in need throughout the incident.
These few specific examples don’t do justice to the true extent of Marks support to our members over two decades. The number of officers and circumstances that Mark has supported is too long to list in the time allotted this evening.
Mark will retire this year and as occupational stress injuries have become such an important issue to our members, we would like to extend our appreciation to a member who has made a career long commitment to the well being of our members in West Region and has been a proud and active member of # 1 Branch throughout his career.
Rob has been actively involved in the OPP Association his entire career and he presently holds the position of Treasurer for Branch 8. Currently, he works at the Haliburton Highlands detachment as a Crime Analyst.
Rob works tirelessly for the Branch and some of his most recent accomplishments include being instrumental in the creation and placement of a granite plaque that sits in the front foyer of Haliburton detachment honouring three members who were killed in the line of duty in Minden, Ontario. The fallen members were Lorne Chapitis (1968), James Smith (1968) and Eric Nystedt (1993). Rob continues to ensure that their names are included in the Annual Memorial Service and last year had their names included in the dedication of three local bridge memorial services.
In 2013, as a result of a motion that Rob put forward, three graduating high school students were each presented with a $250 bursary on behalf of 8 Branch. These students were moving on to a post-secondary institution to study law enforcement.
In addition to these accomplishments Rob was the recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, a true testament to his ongoing commitment to the Association and his community.
Rob remains active in the community and over the past several years he has been involved with “Danes in Distress”, an organization that rescues and provides assistance with the adoption process for Great Danes.
Rob and his wife, Tracy reside in Aurora, Ontario.
PATRICK ARMSTRONG
After a distinguished career in the military, Patrick joined the OPP in 2002 and met his coach officer, Provincial Constable David Mounsey, upon being posted to Town of Wingham. Dave and his life partner Brenda invited Patrick into their home and lives, including the social life after work, the West Region Ceremonial Unit, and many other outings that help to build their friendship.
In 2006, Dave was involved in a single motor vehicle collision, and later passed away as a result of his injuries. Patrick had been the first officer on the scene.
In honour of his friend and mentor, Patrick founded the Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund in 2009.
In addition to his duties as Executive Director and Founder of the DMMF, Patrick is as a Provincial Constable in the Huron OPP, a Board Member with St. John’s Ambulance, within the Air Cadet Program in Goderich, as well a medal mounting and restoration business.
Congratulations on your achievements, Patrick, and on your award as a co-recipient of the OPP Association “Bill Elliott” Member of the Year.
CELESTE BAILEY
Celeste Bailey has been a dispatcher with the Ontario Provincial Police at the West Region PCC in London for the past 9 years and has been an important force behind the Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund since its inception.
She was the Fund’s first president, and was instrumental in creating and managing such events as the “Ride Your Heart Out” Motorcycle Ride, the Valentine’s Day Gala, and the Dancing with the Stars of the OPP. She also helped to raise funds at the DMMF Golf Tournament and the “Run around the Square” event.
Most recently, Celeste was the key organizer and Team Captain of the OPP “Project Glee” team. Comprised of nine OPP members, the team competed in this season’s reality show “CANADA SINGS”, a program televised on Global TV. Despite their best efforts they didn’t win the competition, but because of their hard work, dedication, and commitment, these men and women still succeeded in securing a $15,000 donation for the DMMF and bringing national exposure to the charity named in Dave Mounsey’s honour.
Congratulations on your achievements, Celeste, and on your award as a co-recipient of the OPP Association “Bill Elliott” Member of the Year.
THE DAVE MOUNSEY MEMORIAL FUND
The Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund (DMMF) was established to donate defibrillators to schools, legions, churches, and other community centers. In October 2009, The DMMF was able to donate its first defibrillator in the name of Dave himself, in the village of Blyth. Donations in the name of Matthew Dinning, James McFadden, Marg Eve were next, as well as in the name of Paramedics and other soldiers and Police.
To date, the Dave Mounsey Fund has donated nearly twenty-five lifesaving defibrillators throughout Ontario, with more to come in the future. 2012 has seen the creation of the Ava’s Heart project, which promotes the donation of defibrillators to schools and churches, as well as the Community Service Awards. These awards will include the Sgt. Marg Eve Award, the Corporal Matthew Dinning Award and the Provincial Constable Vu Pham Award.