The Quarterly

the Quarterly ... a proud tradition since 1933

Diary of Securing an American Idol

Spring 2009, vol. 74, no. 2

U.S. President Barack Obama’s first foreign visit.

Also in the Quarterly’s spring issue:

RCMP Veterans train African Police for demanding Darfur mission
by Supt. Alex Geddes (Rtd.)

The Most Northerly Route
Stan Mckenzie Looks Back at the St. Roch’s 1944 Voyage Through the Northwest Passage
by S/Sgt. Lloyd P. Wallis (Rtd.)

Farewell to Two Legendary Police Dogs
by Cpl. Judi Watt and Alma Calub

To subscribe, call (613) 993-3738 or visit Subscription Information

Diary of Securing an American Idol

By Stéphanie Dumoulin

In the weeks leading up to the U.S. President Barack Obama visit to Ottawa, newspaper headlines shouted: “Local groups offering excursions in hopes of getting a quick glimpse of U.S. President,” “Canadian fans await their American Idol” or “Ottawa falls for rock star.” The anticipation was high and many, both Canadians and Americans, wanted to see President Obama in person.

It was predicted that this opportunity to see one of the world’s most known people would draw hundreds, if not thousands, to Parliament Hill and in the downtown core of Ottawa. Security needed to be commensurate with the interest in the presidential rock star. This was President Obama’s first international visit and the world was going to be watching. There was no room for error.

To read more, obtain a copy of the spring issue of the Quarterly.

RCMP Veterans train African Police for demanding Darfur mission

by Supt. Alex Geddes (Rtd.)

I was part of a team of retired RCMP police officers, African Union Police Officers and a retired OPP officer, contracted by the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, who travelled to Kenya for two months, starting in October 2008, to help train African police officers for the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur, Sudan (UNAMID).

To say the UNAMID mission is difficult and challenging is an understatement. Since violence broke out in Sudan in 2003, there are approximately 2.5 million internally displaced persons (IPDs) and refugees escaping to other countries. There are four refugee camps in Darfur, and one camp consists of 60,000 IPDs. The local police are the authority and the UNAMID police can only monitor their activities.

The goal of the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre training is to encourage African police monitors to be proactive and provide guidance and training to the local police when necessary. They also need to report any misconduct, unlawful acts and unprofessional behaviour of the local police and ethnic discrimination through UNAMID channels.

To read more, obtain a copy of the spring issue of the Quarterly.

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The Most Northerly Route
Stan Mckenzie Looks Back at the St. Roch’s 1944 Voyage Through the Northwest Passage

by S/Sgt. Lloyd P. Wallis (Rtd.)

Former S/Cst. Stan McKenzie, 90, is the last living crew member of the 1944 voyage of the St. Roch, an RCMP schooner that sailed east to west, from Halifax to Vancouver, through the most northerly route of the Northwest Passage. The St. Roch had sailed earlier through the North, west to east from 1940-42. It was later the first ship to completely circumnavigate North America by sailing south through the Panama Canal in 1950. (A Norwegian ship, the Gjoa, travelled east to west 38 years previous to 1944, but did not sail as far north as the St. Roch.)

McKenzie always felt he contributed to the sovereignty of Canada by being a crew member on the 86-day voyage through the most northerly Arctic route, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Sixty-five years after leaving the RCMP, McKenzie joined the Nova Scotia Veterans’ Association and provides an interesting account of his historical life experiences.

To read more, obtain a copy of the spring issue of the Quarterly.

Farewell to Two Legendary Police Dogs

by Cpl. Judi Watt and Alma Calub

Remembering Boss
Boss, Reg. No. 593
Retired Police Service Dog
Jan. 29, 1999 - Oct. 24, 2008

In August 2001, a man said he was going to kill his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend with a gun. Boss, my police service dog, and I attended the rural area outside Nanaimo, BC, with an emergency response team member and five other members. We were going to secure a spot in the man’s yard while a phone call was made to confirm he was in the house and try to negotiate him outside peacefully.

With members hidden by darkness, Boss, then-Cst. John Brewer and I moved across the yard. We stopped for a moment when Boss indicated he smelled someone very nearby – by pulling in his harness away from us, looking in the opposite direction, and instead of panting, was completely using his nose.

I signalled to Cst. Brewer, who called out. A voice responded. The man was cloaked in darkness with two loaded firearms, admittedly, waiting to shoot members. Boss was responsible for saving the lives of many police officers that night.

To read more, obtain a copy of the spring issue of the Quarterly.

In Memory of Jack
Jack, Reg. No. 606
Retired Police Service Dog
June 20, 1998 - Nov. 28, 2008

The sad news came at the beginning of December that our beloved police service dog Jack has passed on. For his handler, Cpl. Tim Baulkham, an amazing working partner and most cherished friend was lost. Words cannot describe the ground-breaking career that PSD Jack had and the contributions he made to the Force.

His amazing career began on Oct. 23, 2000. After completing the nine-week Narcotic Detection Dog course in Innisfail, AB, in December of 2000, Jack was the first specialty dog to hit the highways with a uniformed member of Traffic Services in Saskatchewan. He then moved to British Columbia in 2003 and made his mark.

Jack was well-trained to search and detect marijuana, hash, cocaine, heroine, psilocybin, methamphetamine and ecstasy. Just two weeks into his career, Jack was able to detect a suitcase with two plastic bags full of currency totaling $196,520 inside a beat up old van. The load of drugs may have been missed that time, but the discovery was a great indicator of Jack’s capabilities.

To read more, obtain a copy of the spring issue of the Quarterly.

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• WHAT IS THE QUARTERLY ?
• WHO READS THE QUARTERLY ?
• WHAT MAKES THE QUARTERLY SO APPEALING?
• HOW CAN I SUBMIT AN ARTICLE TO THE QUARTERLY ?
• HOW CAN I ADVERTISE IN THE QUARTERLY ?
• HOW CAN I SUBSCRIBE TO THE QUARTERLY ?
• WHAT ARE READERS SAYING ABOUT THE QUARTERLY ?

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What is the Quarterly?

Published since 1933, The Quarterly is the official magazine of the RCMP Veterans' Association. Its origin stems from the activities and accomplishments of the Force which have and continue to be inextricably interwoven with the development of Canada. Since its early beginnings and even today, the Quarterly is intended to display the wealth of tradition, history and stories of the RCMP.

In October 1999, the RCMP Veterans' Association assumed publication of the Quarterly from the Force to ensure its continued success and enjoyment by all readers. Now more than ever, the Veterans' Association recognizes the importance of communication. The Quarterly offers the RCMP, its current and former members and interested contributors a chance to keep in touch and to share information on programs, events and stories.

Who reads the Quarterly?

With over 12,000 subscribers, the Quarterly's readership is comprised of current and former RCMP members and employees as well as various educational institutions, law enforcement and government agencies, libraries and historical societies as well as the general public. The Quarterly is often one of the only sources of reference regarding RCMP history available to these groups.

Quarterly subscribers are not only Canadian but international as well, whose only connection with the Force is a deep-rooting respect and admiration for the RCMP and everything on which it stands. Quarterly subscribers, be they individuals or agencies, are proud of their association with the RCMP.

The Quarterly has long enjoyed its international reputation for excellence and is considered by many to be in the same league as other prestigious law enforcement publications like Policelife (Australia), The Outpost (Zambia), The OPP Review (Ontario Provincial Police; www.gov.on.ca/OPP), Legion magazine (www.legionmagazine.com), Centinelas (Argentina; www.gendarmeria.gov.ar) as well as historical magazines like The Beaver (Hudson's Bay Company; www.beavermagazine.ca and Montana (Montana Historical Society; www.montanahistoricalsociety.com.

What makes the Quarterly so appealing?

• Letters to the Editor allow readers to comment on articles and stories or ask questions.
• Editor's Notes publicize upcoming activities and events.
  Articles cover events of interest, innovative community policing programs and collaborations with other law enforcement agencies, new police technologies, RCMP history and traditions. Humorous articles, stories and light-hearted vignettes are regularly included.
• Scarlet & Gold™ features news, events and information specifically for RCMP veterans.
• Divisional Dispatches feature RCMP members and employees involved in local, national and international community policing initiatives, fundraisers and competitions. Dispatches also contain the latest births and marriages, write-ups about new and retiring members, troop reunions, achievement recognition and awards across Canada.
• Book News & Reviews on publications with a significant connection to the RCMP or of sufficient interest to a broad cross-section of its readership are also published.
• Graduating troop photos, academic achievements, promotions, retirements, obituaries and, occasionally, In Memoriam for members killed in the line of duty are also included.

Note: The Quarterly is published separately in English and French. The publications are a mirror image of one another.

How can I submit an article to the Quarterly?

Because the Quarterly is published four times per year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall), submissions deadlines and print runs are established and on-going. Delivery dates are flexible and negotiable, as long as the magazine is published in the corresponding season (i.e. Winter issue out in the winter months).

Submission Deadlines:

• mid-November (Winter issue)
• mid-February (Spring issue)
• mid-May (Summer issue)
• mid-August (Fall issue)

The Quarterly welcomes manuscripts, letters, photographs and news on RCMP and RCMP Veterans' Association related subjects in either official language. Text should be simply formatted and saved electronically (e.g. WordPerfect or Microsoft Word) . Where possible, a hard copy version should also accompany the submission. Submissions will also be accepted as hard copy only, typed double-spaced on one side of the page. Any material accepted is subject to revision and editing at our discretion.

If you have questions regarding submissions for the Quarterly, please contact the editor, Tanya Baglole, by telephone at  613-993-3780, fax 613-993-4353, or via e-mail at quarterly@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Submissions can be mailed to the following address:
the Quarterly
Attn.: Editor
RCMP Veterans' Association
Leonard Nicholson Building, 1200 Vanier Parkway
Ottawa, ON K1A 0R2

How can I advertise in the Quarterly?

The Quarterly is now selling selected advertising throughout the publication. If you are interested in advertising in the publication contact Christine Dodd, by telephone at 306-352-9125 or by fax 306-757-7087.

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How can I subscribe to the Quarterly?

To subscribe to the Quarterly , fill out the Subscription Application form that is printed on the last page of the Quarterly. The application form allows for you to subscribe to either an English or French version of the Quarterly. Payment can be made by credit card ( Visa only) or you can make your cheque or money order payable to the Quarterly and send it to the RCMP Veterans' Association, Attn.: the Quarterly, Leonard Nicholson Building, 1200 Vanier Parkway, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R2

If a Subscription Application is unavailable, please call us at 613-993-3738 or fax us at  613-993-4353. We'd be happy to send you one! Gift subscriptions for family members, neighbours, business affiliates or colleagues in other police forces who are interested in the RCMP can also be purchased.

As another option, serving RCMP members and pensioners can request that their Quarterly payments be automatically deducted from their RCMP pay or pension. For more information, contact Chantal Renaud, the Quarterly's Circulation Manager, at 613-993-3738       .

Subscription rates (taxes included)

Note: All rates quoted are in Canadian funds. Maximum allowable subscription renewal is two years. Taxes as well as shipping and handling costs are included in the subscription rates listed.

Note: New subscription rates effective July 1, 2004.

Canadian destinations

• $30.00 per year (includes taxes)

United States destinations

• $38.00 per year (Canadian funds)

Foreign destinations

• $44.00 per year (Canadian funds)

To obtain extra copies or back issues of the Quarterly , contact us by telephone at 613-993-3738, fax 613-993-4353, or write to the Quarterly , 295 Coventry Rd., Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R2. Back issues and extra copies cost $7.50 each (taxes included). Please note that issues published prior to the Fall 2002 issue now cost $25.00 each (taxes included), due to their limited availability.

What are readers saying about the Quarterly?

"While on mission with UNCIVPOL in Haiti, we received several copies of the Quarterly. I must admit that in the past, I usually quickly leafed through the magazine. Perhaps it's the distance from home, family and friends, but this time I read the Quarterly from cover to cover, discovering news from old friends and troop mates as well as numerous interesting articles and stories about the Force."

"In reading your latest issue of the Quarterly, I was impressed with the scope of RCMP duties, as well as by its innovative approach to community policing. Your magazine is an excellent educational tool for my 20-year-old daughter as well as my son, both of whom are involved in the Explorer Program. Thank you for expanding my children's minds." [Gonic, New Hampshire]

"The last issue of the Quarterly has just arrived and I am happy to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading every single copy, since its inception in 1933. I think it is very helpful that the general public has access to information on the functions of the RCMP through a medium such as your magazine, in that it helps foster more favourable relations. The police are only as effective as the public can make them, therefore, good relations are essential. The Quarterly fulfils that requirement admirably." [Edmonton, Alberta]