ESTEVAN — Two members of the Estevan Police Service are among the first recipients of the Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers’ (SFPO) Blue Spirit of Saskatchewan Award.
In a Feb. 2 news release, the SFPO announced the recognition for Sgt. Braden Lonsberry and Const. Craig Bird for Lonsberry and Bird’s “service beyond the badge”. According to the SFPO, the Blue Spirit Award honours members who go beyond official duties to impact their communities.
“For years, Const. Craig Bird and Sgt. Braden Lonsberry have been known in Estevan as familiar faces always stepping up for their community,” the SFPO said.
A video for the award says Lonsberry has been a member of the EPS for more than 18 years, and his focus has always been on kids and introducing them to the police world. He has been involved with the school safety patrol program for many years.
Lonsberry has also been a hockey coach in Estevan for more than 30 years, and he also started a police academy to give hockey players a look at the experiences of an officer.
“The police academy is a great way for the young players who are involved to get to meet some of our officers in a way that’s more positive than maybe a traffic stop or some other interaction,” said Lonsberry. “They get to see some of the things that we as police officers do on a day-to-day basis.”
Sessions cover such topics as impaired driving, criminal investigations, tactical operations, the K-9 unit, firearms and forensics, the video said.
Lonsberry has also been an umpire in baseball, and a referee and linesman in hockey.
Bird has been a part of the police service for more than 25 years. The video notes that beyond his work, Bird’s passion is to tell the stories of veterans and the history of the Canadian military, giving special attention to the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
“Starting as a full-time member of the reserve, he learned about the dedication and bravery of those who fought in World Wars 1 and 2, and now shares those stories through the South East Military Museum, which he started in 2019, as well as memorializing vets with banners in local communities to remind others of their sacrifices,” the video stated.
Bird noted in the video he has been collecting memorabilia for at least 35 years, and because he received items and heard stories from veterans, he was wondering what to do with the material he collected.
“I had set my mind quite a while ago to build the museum and commemorate all of these men, and this won’t disappear into the wilderness,” he said.
Bird is also the commanding officer of the No. 2901 Estevan Army Cadet Corps.
The SFPO also made a $1,000 donation in recognition of Lonsberry and Bird to the Estevan branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, which houses part of the museum’s collection.
“While many of us know them for their bravery during a critical incident in November 2023, this award recognizes the decades of compassion and professionalism they’ve poured into Estevan long before that day,” the SFPO said in a news release.
"Craig and Brayden’s commitment to Estevan doesn't end when they take off the uniform,” said SFPO vice-president-south Taylor Elder. “They embody the compassion and leadership that the Blue Spirit Award was created to celebrate.”
