Justice Facility Dogs. La Belle Marielle

Kristal LeBlanc is the CEO of the Beauséjour Family Crisis Resource Centre located at the Courage Centre. She has been leading this dynamic and passionate team at the Centre since 2011. Kristal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Applied Health Services Research from the University of Prince Edward Island. LeBlanc’s research, and subsequent publications, concentrate on the needs of older women experiencing intimate partner violence.

From 2017 to 2019, Kristal worked with various community partners to embark on a $4.3M capital campaign to build the first Centre of excellence in trauma-informed practice for victims and perpetrators of crime. This 19,000 square foot facility brings together diverse partners from health, social services, and criminal justice all in one location. Armed with a passion to bring innovation to victims of crime in Southeast New Brunswick, LeBlanc worked with the Courthouse Dog Foundation and Justice Facility Dogs Canada to develop and implement the first Justice Facility Dog program in New Brunswick. Marielle is a 6-year-old standard poodle who is a graduate from the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides.

To respond to the changing resulting from Covid-19, LeBlanc is working with her community partners to develop the first trauma-informed daycare in New Brunswick, and only the second in North America. The “Little Courageous” will be destined for children who have had a negative adverse event such as exposure to family violence.

Kristal has been recognized for her work in community through various awards including a Woman of Distinction Award, Chamber of the Commerce Women of the Year President’s Award from the Chamber of Commerce of Cap-Acadie, Top 20 under 40, and was recently awarded a Rotary 101 Resilience Award.