In 1997, an annual “women in policing” conference was hosted by the Military Police at Canadian Forces Base Shearwater, Nova Scotia. The venue and schedule were impressive. This had been the fourth of such conferences in the region and the energy was electric. Many of the participants had left to go home, but a number stayed to discuss the prospect of starting an association for women in law enforcement. The participants included RCMP members Kathy Long, Dianne Stairs, Angela Corscadden; Halifax Regional Police members Lisa Jackson, Carol Campbell-Waugh, Sandy Johnston; Saint John Police Force member Liz Chisholm, and representing the Canadian Armed Forces Military Police, Charlotte Russell.
The energy of the conference combined with the caliber of speakers, the content of the sessions and the feeling of support gleaned from taking part made the concept of forming an association viable. This was “the place” policewomen could meet once a year to spend time together, to share stories, to lean in and to lean on one another. This was especially important because many female police officers did not have the benefit of working day to day with other women. Learning built confidence; education was generated not only by conference seminars but also from the social experience and sharing of stories. The women returned to their organizations with new ideas to contribute to their organizations.
In 1997, an annual “women in policing” conference was hosted by the Military Police at Canadian Forces Base Shearwater, Nova Scotia. The venue and schedule were impressive. This had been the fourth of such conferences in the region and the energy was electric. Many of the participants had left to go home, but a number stayed to discuss the prospect of starting an association for women in law enforcement. The participants included RCMP members Kathy Long, Dianne Stairs, Angela Corscadden; Halifax Regional Police members Lisa Jackson, Carol Campbell-Waugh, Sandy Johnston; Saint John Police Force member Liz Chisholm, and representing the Canadian Armed Forces Military Police, Charlotte Russell.
The energy of the conference combined with the caliber of speakers, the content of the sessions and the feeling of support gleaned from taking part made the concept of forming an association viable. This was “the place” policewomen could meet once a year to spend time together, to share stories, to lean in and to lean on one another. This was especially important because many female police officers did not have the benefit of working day to day with other women. Learning built confidence; education was generated not only by conference seminars but also from the social experience and sharing of stories. The women returned to their organizations with new ideas to contribute to their organizations.
In 1993, the RCMP held its first female policing conference in Fredericton, New Brunswick, specifically for the RCMP female police officers working in “J” Division (New Brunswick). It was a success. This conference was organized by Kathy Long who, at the time, was a 16-year veteran of the RCMP.
Unrelated to the conference held in “J” Division a year earlier, in 1994 the Halifax Police Department organized its first conference partnering with Nova Scotia RCMP (represented by Laurie Flindall), and invited Atlantic Canadian female police officers from federal, municipal and town agencies. An organizing group was formed which represented federal and municipal female police officers. This conference was held at the former Halifax Citadel Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia and was hosted by Halifax City Police. The 1993 conference in J Division was so successful it was easy to gain enthusiasm from the New Brunswick female police officers for the 1994 conference in Halifax.
The success of these two conferences gave way to more interest in women’s issues in a law enforcement. After the 1997 conference at Shearwater was finished, many women stayed back to discuss the viability of continuing to have these annual conferences as well as forming a structured association for women in policing.
In 1998, at a conference hosted by the RCMP and Military Police and held at Oromocto, New Brunswick, Atlantic Women in Law Enforcement (AWLE) was born with an executive chosen and a communications vehicle adopted entitled, “The Notebook”.