As police officers and life-long volunteers, Armand and Denise La Barge are champions of community well-being, diversity and inclusion, and ardent defenders of social justice and human rights. In keeping with their ongoing life-long commitment to bias-free policing and enhancing police-community relations, they recently established the Armand & Denise La Barge Policing & Community Well-being Bursary.

The bursary supports students with demonstrated financial need in Trent’s groundbreaking Policing & Community Well-Being program – the only community-inclusive policing program of its kind in Canada.

"Trent's unique, community-inclusive policing program, focused on collaboration and social awareness, represents everything that we embodied during our careers," said Denise La Barge. "We created this bursary together to ensure that driven Trent Durham students get the support they need to embark on this vital career path."

“Giving back to higher education is a key priority of us and for me personally. Education helped shape who I am,” added Mr. La Barge, who was appointed chair of Trent’s Board of Governors in 2019. “Supporting the next generation of students is one way that we hope to provide them with the same transformative experiences and opportunities we were afforded.”

The Policing & Community Well-being B.A. degree explores modern policing practices and the economic, social, and cultural contexts of diverse communities to empower its citizens, law enforcement, and outreach groups. The new bursary will be available for students to apply starting as early as September 2021.

About Armand and Denise La Barge

Mr. La Barge began his career in policing with York Regional Police in 1973 and was appointed chief in 2002. He has been recognized for his community service, work with young people, and his work in the fight against hate crime and racism. During his 37-year career, he served as the president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and director of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. He was also an associate member of the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association, and he sat on and chaired several boards, including the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation, Special Olympics Ontario, and Ontario St. John Ambulance.

Mr. La Barge holds a Master of Arts degree in Canadian and Indigenous Studies from Trent University and a Master of Philosophy degree in Criminal Justice from Walden University. His work has earned him many awards, including the Governor General's Order of Merit of the Police Forces and the Queen's Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals, the Harry Jerome Diversity Award, and the Tropicana Community Services President’s Award. 

Ms. La Barge began her career with York Regional Police in 1979, and as one of the first female officer in that service, she has been a trailblazer. During her 32-year career, she rose to the rank of Detective Sergeant and was recognized for the groundbreaking work she did in the field of child abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence investigations. She has served on many boards, including Yellow Brick House Women and Children Shelter and Blue Hills Child and Family Services. In 1990, she was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by Governor-General Jeanne Sauvé. In 2010, Governor-General Michaëlle Jean awarded her the Exemplary Service First Bar, and in 2013 she was named a YWCA Toronto Woman of Distinction.

Now retired, Armand and Denise La Barge continue to dedicate their time and effort to community well-being and the promotion of peace and harmony amongst people of all cultures and faiths. Mr. La Barge is the co-chair of the Association of Progressive Muslims of Canada (APMC) Advisory Board, a Universal Peace Federation member, and a member of the Intercultural Dialogue Institute GTA Advisory Board. Ms. La Barge is the vice-chair of the Luke 4 Foundation, an active supporter of the Project for the Advancement of Childhood Education (PACE) in Jamaica. She is also a member of the APMC Advisory Board and the Universal Peace Federation.

Student support like the Policing & Community Well-Being Bursary is made possible by the vision and optimism of the Trent community and supporters. To find out how you can make an impact on student lives at Trent Durham, please visit trentu.ca/GiveTrentDurham.

Learn more about Trent University’s full and diverse range of scholarships and bursaries.