ST. PAUL – Lynn Smid spent eight years serving the community as director of the St. Paul Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) - a non-profit society with an ever-constant presence in the region.
To be closer to her family, Smid has now stepped down from her position.
Town of St. Paul CAO Steven Jeffery, on behalf of Town staff and council, wishes Smid the best in her future. “Lynn Smid is a true leader in her field and served the region with passion, integrity and selflessness,” he said.
“Her role as Regional FCSS Director allowed her to show the community and her peers just how professional and supportive an experience with her department could be. From coordinating essential supports for wildfire evacuees in the various reception centres she’s worked in to managing her daily FCSS duties, Lynn [Smid] has been a mentor to all her staff she leaves behind.”
Trevor Kotowich, Fire Chief of the St. Paul Fire Department, as well as the Regional Director of Emergency Management, said in addition to Smid’s role within the FCSS, the outgoing director also served as the ESS (Emergency Social Services) Director for the Regional Emergency Management team.
“Lynn [Smid] oversaw all aspects of ESS, including volunteers, setting up a reception centre for evacuees, registering evacuees and ensuring every available resource was afforded to those in need,” he said.
“Lynn was a natural for this position, as she deeply cared for those during their time of need. Her ability to keep calm and provide a calming influence in times of an emergency was unmatched,” added Kotowich. “She will be missed in this position, and we wish her all the best in the future.
But Smid herself doesn’t talk much about her own achievements or her impact on the community, and when asked about them she waves the spotlight away from her - crediting her team, the community, and all the people she worked with since she joined the organization in 2016.
Under her leadership, the St. Paul FCSS expanded its reach, becoming the St. Paul Regional Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) in 2023 to better serve and connect communities in the region.
According to the Government of Alberta, the FCSS program “promotes and enhances the well-being of Albertans, families and communities. FCSS programs are intended to help individuals adopt healthy lifestyles, improve their quality of life and build capacity to prevent and deal with crisis situations should they arise.”
It is a tough mandate to follow, Smid acknowledges, especially as someone who is at the helm of the ship. There is a lot of work and challenges that take place behind the scenes – from planning, advocating, and more.
But for Smid, it was about embracing and transforming those challenges so FCSS could make a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of individuals and families in a community.
Growing prevention and early intervention programs is one way to make an impact, says Smid. Both are crucial for promoting and enhancing the well-being of Albertans by equipping people with the necessary knowledge and support as they go through their lives – especially for youth.
This mindset resulted in FCSS boosting its youth programs, which involve practical programs to teach youth independence, and also programs to help guardians better guide youth.
Being able to see firsthand how FCSS programs make an impact on an individual or a family’s life, “is the most rewarding part of the job.”
One example that has left a lasting impression on Smid is the FCSS grief camp for youth. Many of the children come to the program anxious, not knowing what the future might hold. By the end of the weeklong program, their eyes are filled with hope.
“Those are rewarding moments,” says Smid.
Moving forward, Smid wishes the St. Paul Regional FCSS to continue growing.
“When you’ve dedicated eight years of your life to something – you want to see it thrive.”
She adds, “I love the community and oh–,” she says with a pause. “Good grief – it chokes me up. But I will miss the community connection, for sure.” Smid has been living in St. Paul for 23 years, so it’s not easy to let go and move on.
She says she will miss a lot of people, including her colleagues.
“Sometimes you spend more time with them than you do your own family.”
Moving forward, she says what comes next for her is unclear as she spends some time settling in her new home in Sherwood Park. Asked if she plans to relax for a bit, Smid says she will be considering the suggestion.
“I don’t think I’m very good at that . . . my husband definitely says that’s my issue,” she laughs, but adds that it is not a terrible idea to give herself some time to reflect on what she has done and what she wants to do in the future.
Spending more time with her family is definitely on her list, she says. “Being in line of work with the FCSS, we see a lot of seniors that don’t have family closer and how big a challenge that can be as our parents age.”
“So, it was important for us to make the move,” she says. “My granddaughters are six and four already, which is crazy to me. So, we want to be part of their lives.”
