Established in 2012, the award acknowledges individuals within the Canadian police community who exhibit exceptional leadership, commitment, and vision in promoting technology-enhanced learning.
By Natalie Fournier
The Canadian Police Knowledge Network (CPKN) presented the 2026 F. Darren Smith Award of Excellence at the recent CPKN Conference, hosted in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
CPKN recognized Blair Smadu, Learning and Development Consultant with the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS), with the award to a crowd of almost 100 delegates from 42 organizations across Canada on September 24, 2026.
The award is named in recognition of F. Darren Smith, who dedicated 33 years to the Toronto Police Service and played a significant role in advancing police training models through technology at the Toronto Police College. His contributions influenced training initiatives nationwide.
Established in 2012, this award honours his legacy and acknowledges individuals within the Canadian police community who exhibit exceptional leadership, commitment, and vision in promoting technology-enhanced learning.
“Blair is a champion for integrating technology into police training and professional development programs,” said Sonia Poulin, President, CPKN. “His continued contributions to improve learning at SPS and his support of CPKN and our initiatives makes him a deserving recipient of this award.”
Smadu began his education career in 2006, teaching across Saskatchewan before earning a master’s in educational technology and design. He joined SPS in 2024 as a Learning Development Consultant, leveraging his expertise in curriculum design and adult education to create impactful solutions for the organization’s Learning Management System (LMS).
“Through his initiative and dedication, Blair has improved accessibility to learning resources, increased staff engagement with training opportunities, and reduced administrative burdens on training personnel,” says Staff Sergeant Devon Racicot in Smadu’s nomination letter. “His efforts have resulted in a more efficient, user-friendly, and sustainable system that continues to benefit the entire organization.”
Since joining SPS, Smadu has developed and delivered an internal mentorship program that focuses on academic growth to support applicants in clearing barriers in the recruiting process. He has also created an informal network of police curriculum developers both provincially and nationally that meets to discuss best practices and trends.
“We have tried really hard to make it an inviting environment for all of our members,” says Smadu. “I just want them to have the best experience they can when they’re using the LMS because I know it’s a big part of their success in the field.”
Smadu has also partnered with CPKN as a member of its Adult Learning Task Force and presented the Knowledge Exchange Series in February 2026, Optimizing Training Delivery: A Focus on Block Training, Booking Pools, and H5P, focusing on enhancing participants’ learning management system expertise.
To learn more about the F. Darren Smith Award of Excellence or to view past award winners, please visit https://www.cpkn.ca/en/f-darren-smith-award-of-excellence/.
