SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Women Officers in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Honourable senators, in the early days of 1974, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, like today, was seeking applicants for the force. To apply, you had to be White, male, single, straight and Christian.

The Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada was not impressed. Fifty years ago this month, following the example of the OPP — which already had a class in training and which later appointed our esteemed colleague Senator Gwen Boniface as their first female commissioner — the paradigm shifted. With little warning to the public, let alone the serving members, the force announced they were accepting female recruits. For those serving, it was a radical shift that was celebrated by some and mourned by others. One thing is certain: The RCMP would never be the same again and neither would I.

I applied on the very day the announcement was made. I and 31 other women, ages 19 to 29, were accepted into Troop 17, the first class of female RCMP recruits. But enough about me. The force was unprepared. The uniform was hurriedly designed by the same company that designed Air Canada attire. It was very fashionable — I have to tell you — but incredibly impractical, with a skirt, high-heeled shoes, a triangle tie and the worst fashion faux pas: a shoulder purse housing a snub-nosed Smith & Wesson revolver. No iconic red serge or stetson would be permitted for 16 long years.

Six months later, 30 of the 32 of us graduated and were posted across Canada. What we had in common was that we all wanted to be RCMP officers, and we wanted to make a difference. We had little idea of the significance of this groundbreaking change. Some, like myself, had a career marked by investigational successes and firsts. Others, not so much; they found pushback and downright hostility to their presence. Nevertheless, everyone served with dedication and professionalism.

In 1974, portable radios had not yet been invented. When you left your vehicle, there was no way to communicate until you returned to your car. There was no GPS and often no backup. Technology has been a great benefit, but one thing has sadly changed. On occasion, if I was having trouble making an arrest, a bystander would — without hesitation — stop to help me. Fast forward 50 years later, and members tell me that onlookers usually just take a photo or video to post on social media.

Women now account for one fifth of the force, working proudly and courageously side by side with their male counterparts, who, together, have made this social experiment a success. Today, women proudly occupy every rank in the force and now serve in every specialty, from investigating child exploitation to SWAT.

As an example, my guest, Sergeant Collins, a rock star RCMP member from British Columbia, made many outstanding and courageous choices in her life. She has had an amazing career of service. She has served in general duties, Indigenous policing in remote coastal communities and plainclothes duties. She presently leads an 11-member team investigating major crimes in the northern district of British Columbia and has travelled internationally, teaching the interviewing of vulnerable children victims, among other specialties.

The fiftieth anniversary of women in the force is not about Troop 17. It is a celebration of both female and male members who have served from that historic date in 1974 to the present and into the future, bringing to life a legacy of which we could only have dreamt.

Thank you very much.