It’s there when the city of Corner Brook alights with the colours of fall.

It’s there when professors and students make their way to classes at Grenfell Campus. Or when they head home after an evening class or a study session at the library.

It’s there beneath the laughter of a social event and exists in the quiet hours when the campus sleeps.

It’s something experienced that often goes unnoticed: an invisible architecture of safety and security that allows life at Grenfell to feel free, welcoming and warm.

For over 30 years, Constance “Connie” Fudge was one of the primary builders of this invisible architecture.

Behind the scenes, in her role as manager of Campus Enforcement and Patrol (CEP), Ms. Fudge helped shape campus culture and how people felt when they walked through campus doors.

Under her guidance, incident response protocols were improved and enhanced video-surveillance systems were installed. And CEP officers became a part of the campus neighbourhood through foot patrols.

She also ensured her team was well trained. She championed professional development to guarantee that her officers were always up to date in First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, self-defence, de-escalation techniques, suicide prevention and emergency management.

Ms. Fudge cultivated strong partnerships with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, NL Health Services, the City of Corner Brook and various emergency management agencies and government departments. These vital links made Grenfell a part of a much larger safety network.

 

Connie Fudge and Jennifer Mitchell (manager, student housing) welcome students to Grenfell Campus in 2019. Photo from Grenfell Campus Archives.

 

And while much of this work did happen behind the scenes, what Ms. Fudge was really known for was her presence.

With her calm, compassionate and capable demeanour, she emanated a rare blend of authority and approachability.

In her company, safety on campus was not simply about the absence of danger. It was about the existence of trust.

When an emergency did occur, Ms. Fudge was known for being the first person on the scene and the last to leave.

She was there to welcome students to campus, and she was there to walk them home when they wanted a dependable companion.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she communicated and enforced the necessary safety protocols. But she was also there for people, providing emotional and logistical support to students isolated from their families.

And beyond the university, she has long embodied a commitment to community safety and well-being.

She was instrumental in creating and volunteering in the first search and rescue team for the Bay of Islands region.

She's volunteered with the Law Enforcement Torch Run in support of the Special Olympics for 26 years. She’s been a medical first responder with St. John Ambulance for over a decade.

And for nearly six years, she served as co-chair of the Corner Brook Citizens Crime Prevention Committee, helping foster safety through collaboration and outreach. She’s helped advance community awareness of bullying, internet safety, elder abuse, counterfeit currency and violence prevention.

Though people can sometimes take the safety that surrounds them for granted, Ms. Fudge’s service has not gone unnoticed.

In 2015, she earned the Memorial University President’s Award for Exemplary Service and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Chief of Police Community Service Award.

In 2014 and again in 2022, she received the Grenfell Campus Vice-President’s Staff Service Award – the only person to receive the award twice.

These recognitions span years and institutions. But they tell a single story about consistent dedication, unselfish service and constant care.

Ms. Fudge helped define the personality of Grenfell itself: a campus known for its tight-knit community.

She helped model what relational service looks like in a post-secondary setting. She showed that enforcement can be based on mutual respect, that guidance can be gentle and that doing a job well – every single day, year in, year out – can build trust in institutions.

Ms. Fudge retired in 2022, but her contribution lives on in every student who feels safe and every visitor who feels welcome.

Her work is embedded in Grenfell's daily life. It stands as a pillar in that invisible architecture that holds the place together.