Meritorious Service Medal

• Awarded on: April 26, 2004
• Invested on: November 26, 2004

Elisabeth (Lisa) Angelika Stinson, M.S.M., Calgary, Alberta
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)

As a tribute to her brother who died in the line of duty, Lisa Stinson established, in 1993, the Constable Rick Sonnenberg Memorial Society, through which she launched the Helicopter Airwatch for Community Safety (HAWCS) project. Under her leadership, $1.5 million have been raised to provide the Calgary Police Service with a patrol helicopter equipped to offer support and surveillance activity to ground-based police units. Thanks to Ms. Stinson’s efforts, Calgary became the first municipal police agency in Canada to establish a full-time patrol helicopter.