Left to right: LPS VWSU Manager Catherine Pooley, Grace Couturier, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Salma Lakhani, and LPS Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh. (Photo: Lethbridge Police Service)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge woman earns Star of Alberta Volunteer Award

Dec 10, 2025 | 10:00 AM

A local woman has been honoured with an award celebrating her contributions to the community.

The Alberta Government recently announced the eight recipients of the 2025 Stars of Alberta Volunteer Awards.

Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women, says they wanted to pay tribute to truly remarkable individuals.

“We are proud to celebrate this year’s recipients, who have devoted countless hours to making a lasting impact across our province. As we mark the 25th anniversary of the Stars of Alberta Volunteer Awards, we honour those who break barriers, serve others and bring hope where it is needed most,” says Fir.

One of the recipients in the Senior Category is Grace Couturier of Lethbridge.

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She has spent the last 25 years volunteering with the Lethbridge Police Service Victim and Witness Services Unit (VWSU), putting in more than 18,000 hours.

After learning that she has been nominated by her boss, Catherine Pooley, and LPS Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh, Couturier says she felt “quite embarrassed.”

She explains that she never got into this line of work for recognition or accolades. Now that she has had some time to digest this news, she feels blessed and honoured to be nominated alongside the other award winners.

Many years ago, Couturier says she was working at Chinook Regional Hospital when she saw an ad looking for VWSU volunteers and thought she would give it a try. Couturier told LNN that, at the time, she never thought she would spend such a large part of her life in the role.

She says she enjoys helping people through what is often a very difficult period in their lives.

“People are dealing with doctors, police officers, nurses, all sorts of professions, but there’s nobody there for them. That’s where my passion comes from, is to give them a voice when needed,” says Couturier.

She adds, “I always try and tell people that we are a shoulder to cry on, ears to listen, and we have the tools to help people, if they choose to take them.”

While some people do not want the help of the VWSU, as Couturier says their grief might be too powerful in that moment, most people are very appreciative of the support they offer.

“I always have people that say thank you to me when I’m leaving, or people will ask for a hug. I think that’s one of the reasons I stay is because I believe we make a difference.”

Couturier recently attended a ceremony for the recipients of the Stars of Alberta Volunteer Awards in Calgary, which was hosted by Minister Fir and Lieutenant Governor Salma Lakhani.

She says she was “very humbled” listening to the stories of the other award winners.

“I was so happy to see so many good people out there helping people,” says Couturier. “I did go and shake everybody’s hands and tell them how proud of them I was. I just felt so humbled to be included in that group.”

You can see the list of recipients of the Stars of Alberta Volunteer Awards here.

Below is the full nomination write-up for Couturier from VWSU Manager Catherine Pooley:

• 25 years…
• Over 18,000 hours contributed…
• Hundreds of victims comforted and as many anxious witnesses reassured…

Just numbers really. Until you learn the story of the remarkable volunteer behind those numbers.

Every Tuesday for more than 2 decades, Grace Couturier has arrived at the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) detachment, ready to serve. In her role as Crisis Support Worker with the LPS Victim and Witness Services Unit (VWSU), over 12-hour shifts, she gently holds the hands of those traumatized by horrific crime.She helps victims of domestic violence find their way to emergency shelters and comforts and supports families who’ve just learned of the loss of their loved ones. During those 12 hour shifts she provides crisis support, information on court processes and community resources and ensures that those served by the VWSU continue to receive exemplary support.

While Grace has seen a lot of changes over her quarter century of service, seeing the arrivals and departures of 9 different police chiefs, she has remained the same steadfast, compassionate cornerstone of the VWSU she has always been, impacting countless lives along the way. But her contributions go beyond the invaluable front-line support she diligently delivers.

Each year in January, Grace offers her support to the unit’s annual volunteer recruit training session, helping to orient new members, build their confidence and ensure they are ready to face what they might encounter on scene. Grace not only shares the ins and outs of the unit’s processes and protocols but imparts on new teammates how to lead with compassion. Those same recruits soon come to understand and appreciate Grace’s role within the unit. She is the team’s elder and knowledge keeper and is regularly called upon as a source of such experience.

Leading not with words, but through action, demonstrating humility and unwavering service, Grace is the often the first person to offer support to others whether it be an LPS officer, a VWSU teammate or a member of the community. Her response to those in need seems to come instinctively and after 25 years of dedicated service it’s no surprise that for Grace, reaching out a hand to help those in need is just second nature.

Like silver, the symbol of 25 years of dedicated volunteerism with the LPS VWSU, Grace Couturier shines as a 2025 Volunteer Star.