RCMP at 150: Key events in the evolution of the national police

OTTAWA – A timeline of some key events in the evolution of the RCMP’s structure and responsibilities:

May 3, 1873: Act establishing the North West Mounted Police introduced by then Prime Minister John A. Macdonald.

May 23, 1873 – The bill passes Parliament unopposed and receives Royal Assent. However, it does not immediately establish NWMP, as it is merely an emergency measure.

August 30, 1873: Order in Council creates NWMP.

October 18, 1873 – George Arthur French becomes the first permanent commissioner.

November 3, 1873: The first 150 NWMP recruits assemble at Lower Fort Garry, Man., north of Winnipeg.

July 8, 1874: The March West to what is now Alberta begins at Fort Dufferin in Manitoba.

1876: First public display of horsemanship at Fort Macleod in Alberta.

1887: Musical Ride first performed in Regina.

June 5, 1895 – A NWMP contingent leaves for the Yukon, extending their presence to the northern frontier.

June 24, 1904 – King Edward VII confers the title of “Royal” on the North West Mounted Police.

July 21, 1908: Order in Council approves the fingerprint system.

January 1, 1917 – RNWMP is relieved of their provincial police duties in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the creation of their own provincial police forces.

1919: Force’s pan-Arctic presence includes 25 detachments and over 70 men.

July 14, 1919: Order in Council increases the size of the RNWMP to 2,500 members.

February 1, 1920: The Royal North West Mounted Police becomes the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with the absorption of the Dominion Police. Headquarters moved to Ottawa from Regina.

June 1, 1928: RCMP assumes duties as Saskatchewan Provincial Police.

April 1, 1932: RCMP absorbs the provincial police organizations of Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

April 1, 1932: Patrol boats and personnel are transferred from the Department of National Revenue, creating the RCMP Marine Section.

April 1, 1937: RCMP Air Services is created with the purchase of four aircraft.

April 1, 1960: Civilian membership category created in RCMP to work in crime detection laboratories and various technical fields.

1966: Last year of compulsory equestrian training for all recruits.

June 30, 1967 – David Lawrence, the first black member of the RCMP, begins training in Regina.

March 3, 1975: The first women’s troop graduates.

July 16, 1984: The RCMP Security Service ceases to exist with functions taken over by a newly formed civilian agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

1989: The last all-female troop trains.

October 19, 1989: An RCMP contingent is sent to Namibia to supervise the elections, marking the first time the force has participated in a United Nations mission.

1990: Baltej Singh Dhillon becomes the first RCMP member to wear a turban during recruit training.

1992: Women receive the iconic Stetson, boots and breeches for the first time.

December 16, 2006: Beverley Busson becomes Acting Commissioner, the first woman to serve in the position.

October 5, 2011: The new RCMP headquarters in Ottawa opens.

April 16, 2018: Brenda Lucki becomes the first female permanent commissioner.

(Sources: RCMP, The Canadian Press)

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 22, 2023.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

The conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the Code of Conduct. The Star does not endorse these views.

Leave a Comment