City of Maple Ridge named Royal Roads Internship Employer of the Year

Learn more about Master of Arts in Disaster and Emergency Management 

When the City of Maple Ridge welcomed Master of Arts in Disaster and Emergency Management student Dawn Varley for a summer internship, Corporate Emergency Program Manager Edd Bennett saw an opportunity to build capacity during one of the busiest seasons of the year. What he didn’t expect was how quickly Varley would become a trusted colleague. 

The City of Maple Ridge has been named Royal Roads University’s 2025 Internship Employer of the Year, recognized for providing an outstanding, career-shaping learning experience for a Disaster and Emergency Management intern and for modelling what meaningful public-sector mentorship can look like. 

“It was an absolute pleasure to support Dawn with this internship opportunity,” Bennett says. “For us, it truly represented a win for everyone involved.” 

Building real-world experience in emergency management 

Varley joined the city as an intern-based Emergency Program Coordinator, working directly with Bennett and supporting a wide range of responsibilities that keep the city prepared for emergencies. 

The role offered hands-on experience with the city’s Emergency Operations Centre, technology innovation projects, and two major volunteer-led programs: Emergency Support Services (ESS) and the Emergency Radio Communication team. Varley quickly took on leadership roles, helping coordinate public awareness events, collaborating with local partners—including a First Nation community—and even taking shared responsibility for the city’s on-call emergency response rotation. 

“Emergency management is often a thinly staffed environment, so having Dawn on board meant we could do more with less,” Bennett says. “Within five to six weeks, she was effectively running with it. Her ability to be effective quickly—without much support—really stood out.” 

Varley’s contributions were significant. She co-led the city’s first functional capstone exercise for its Emergency Operations team, supported a major modernization of the EOC facility, and helped grow the ESS volunteer team from a dozen volunteers to nearly 80 within a year. She also led and supported responses to more than a dozen live emergency events. 

“Watching her confidence grow—especially in areas like public notification, which can make even seasoned professionals nervous—was remarkable,” Bennett says. “By mid-summer she was saying, ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got it.’ And she did.” 

A learning environment that mirrors real practice 

What set this internship apart, Bennett says, was his commitment to treating Varley as a peer rather than a hierarchical subordinate. 

“If you’re on the team, you’re on the team,” he says. “I wanted Dawn to have the space to ask questions, take on responsibilities, make decisions and learn in a real-world environment. That’s where the growth happens.” 

He encouraged Varley to identify areas where she wanted deeper development and then built opportunities around those goals. The result was a partnership that felt collaborative and mutually beneficial. 

“Having Dawn here improved our whole program,” he adds. “Her perspective helped us refine processes, think more strategically and soften some of my own ‘scorched earth’ tendencies. She helped us be a better team.” 

A model for municipalities across Canada 

For Bennett, the recognition underscores the value internships can bring to municipal emergency programs—especially during high-risk seasons shaped by wildfires, extreme weather and shifting climate patterns. 

“I hope more municipalities and Indigenous governments look at this and consider offering similar opportunities,” he says. “Students gain an immersion into the real demands of this work, and organizations gain capable, motivated talent when it’s needed most. It’s a win-win.” 

Meaningful mentorship, meaningful outcomes 

Varley, who continues to work with the city in a part-time and volunteer capacity, says the experience exceeded her hopes and will help guide her path forward in emergency management. 

Bennett shares that sentiment. “It’s validating to know that the environment we created—the pace, the scope and the support—proved to be a winning formula,” he says. “We’re incredibly grateful for the recognition. It’s a positive way to close out a truly excellent experience.” 

Learn more about Master of Arts in Disaster and Emergency Management