MLA Will Seek BC Support for RCMP Appreciation Day

Mar 13, 2019 | 3:03 PM

Emails have been sent to all 85 MLA’s and 40 MP’s from BC about making Feb. 1st RCMP Appreciation Day.

A petition in support of the recognition for police officers is being led by a group of Vernon citizens, with about 1,000 signatures collected so far.

The document will be given to Vernon Monashee MLA Eric Foster at Vernon City Hall Thursday at 1 pm.

Foster says he will take it to the BC Legislature and speak in support of it.

“I think it’s a neat idea, and I’m going to promote it with my colleagues,” Foster tells Beach Radio News.

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Foster advised the proponents to raise awareness and support for the campaign locally, before going provincial.

“They wanted to do the whole thing in one big smash. I didn’t think you would be able to pull it off, the whole province, in one shot, but I said ‘go talk to the Mayor of Vernon’ and they’ve done that. Let’s do something here first, and then grow it from there.”

The plan is to start the tribute on Feb. 1, 2020, which would be the RCMP’s 100th anniversary.

Feb. 1 was the day in 1920, when the Canadian Parliament created the Royal Canadian Mounted Police by combining the Northwest Mounted Police (1873) and the Dominion Police (1868).

Martin von Holst is the Vernon Committee Chair, with Guy Bailey as Secretary, and support from Andy Wylie.

“We are a group of Canadian citizens residing in Vernon, who formed a committee to acknowledge Feb. 1 each year as a day to honour and recognize th emen and woman of the RCMP for their dedication and service,” says a release from von Holst.

At this point, Manitoba is the only province to have Feb. 1st designated as RCMP Appreciation Day.

You can find out more by emailing RCMPappreciationday@gmail.com

by Corey Fischer