Summary information
| Repository: | South Peace Regional Archives |
| Title: | For the Record Research fonds |
| Reference code: | 0700 |
| Date: | 1986 – 2015 (date of creation) |
| Physical description: | 34 cm textual records |
| Language: | English |
| Dates of creation, revision and deletion: | Processed November 2023 – JL Description reviewed and corrected October 2025 – TD |
Administrative history / Biographical sketch
Jacqueline “Jacquie” Coutu was born in 1951, a descendant of Marie-Anne Gaboury and Jean Baptiste Lagimodiere (grandparents of Louis Riel). She graduated from law school in 1974 and articled in the Peace Country. She worked in Grande Prairie for a number of years, forming her own general practice, Coutu and Myroniuk, in 1977.
Jacquie married her husband, Robert “Bob” Warsaba on May 4, 1974 and had four children, Philippe, Stephanie, David, and Eric. In 1985, the family moved to Edmonton where Jacquie worked with the City of Edmonton’s legal department for twelve years. They returned to Grande Prairie in 1997 when Jacquie was appointed to sit as the first Court of Queen’s Bench justice in the newly created judicial district of Grande Prairie.
In 2002, Jacquie was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Medal.
Scope and content
This fonds contains the records compiled by Jacquie Coutu as research for “For the Record,” a book detailing the history of the Grande Prairie courthouse from 1914 to 2011 as told by lawyers, judges, court reporters, legal assistants, court clerks, and administrators. This includes newspaper clippings, interview excerpts, and other textual records related to those individuals as well as correspondence related to copyright information, a contemporary list of law firms, and a courthouse cookbook from 1986.
Notes
Title notes
Title of fonds based on contents.
Restrictions on access
The materials in this fonds are restricted due to containing a significant amount of personally identifying information about individuals discussed in “For the Record”.
Access points
- Textual record (documentary form)
- Law (subject)
Table of contents
0700.01, Biographical Research, 2011 – 2014
0700.02, Newspaper Clippings and Correspondence Regarding Copyright, 2014-2015
0700.03, List of Related Law Firms, 2011-2014
0700.04, Our Courthouse Extra-ordinary Favourite Savoury Delights, 1986
Series descriptions
| Series 0700.01: Biographical Research
Date: 2011 – 2014 (date of creation) Scope and content: This series includes information gathered by Jacquie Coutu about people who worked at the Grande Prairie courthouse for the book “For the Record”. Folders are organized alphabetically by last name and include newspaper clippings, interview excerpts, and other textual material about each individual. There are also blank copies of the questionnaires used to gather information. Physical description: 31.5 cm textual records Language of the material: English Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) Restrictions on access: The materials in this series are restricted due to containing a significant amount of (PII) personally identifying information about individuals discussed in “For the Record”. Publication status: Published |
| Series 0700.02: Newspaper Clippings and Correspondence Regarding Copyright
Date: 2014-2015 (date of creation) Scope and content: This series contains correspondence between Grace Wallace and Julie Kirsh of Sun Media Corporation regarding copyright clearance for items related to the Grande Prairie Herald-Tribune newspaper, as well as related newspaper clippings. Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records Language of the material: English Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) Publication status: Published |
| Series 0700.03: List of Related Law Firms
Date: 2011-2014 (date of creation) Scope and content: This series contains a list of law firms in the area at the time of Jacquie’s research, including the the names of some of the staff related to the research done for “For the Record”. Physical description: 1 cm textual records Language of the material: English Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) Restrictions on access: This item is restricted due to containing a significant amount of (PII) personally identifying information about individuals discussed in “For the Record”. Publication status: Published |
| Series 0700.04: Our Courthouse Extra-ordinary Favourite Savoury Delights
Date: 1986 (date of creation) Scope and content: This series consists of a cookbook produced by staff at the courthouse in Grande Prairie in 1986. Physical description: 1 cm textual records Language of the material: English Access points: • Textual record (documentary form) Publication status: Published |