OTTAWA - Today, the Commanding Officer for RCMP National Headquarters, Chief Superintendent Ron Mostrey, and the President of the Ottawa RCMP Veterans’ Association, Assistant Commissioner retired Graham Muir, paid tribute to the wives of RCMP members who helped nurture and support their husbands’ policing careers in some of the country’s most isolated communities.
Fifteen women were honoured for the often unrecognized support they provided to the RCMP from the 1900s onwards. Each of their stories outlines unique challenges and hardships they endured while on post, often living in inadequate housing and with growing families of their own to tend to.
During this period of the Force’s history, women often performed a range of duties in support of police operations, from answering phones, to searching female prisoners, and providing prisoner meals. Their homes often served as the accommodations for visiting RCMP senior officers, judges, doctors and nurses to whom they also provided meals and entertainment.
“These exceptional women are a testament to the daily sacrifice and commitment our own family members make to support those of us who wear the badge,” says Chief Superintendent Mostrey. “These women went beyond that call, often assisting in the day-to-day functions of small-town, remote detachments, building crucial links to the communities we serve and protect.”
Also on hand for the NHQ presentation were RCMP veterans Jack Briscoe and Suzanne Serault, who served as Masters of Ceremonies. The RCMP Veterans’ Association National Office in Ottawa was responsible for communicating with veterans across the country to solicit nominations for the award.
The NHQ Awards are just one of the ceremonies taking place across the country. A total of 468 recipients will receive the Second Man Award – an honorary, silver brooch with the RCMP’s crest, and a certificate of appreciation from the RCMP Commissioner. To date, ceremonies have been held in Calgary, Whitehorse and Charlottetown. Additional ceremonies will be held in Halifax on September 19 and at the RCMP’s Heritage Centre in Regina on October 1.
The creation of the Second Man Award was approved by the RCMP in October 2010. The contributions are chronicled in the 2004 book, “When the Second Man was a Woman,” by Ruth Lee-Knight, the inspiration behind the Second Man Award.
Recipients recognized in Ottawa include: Mrs. Amy Borys, Mrs. Jacqueline Clifford (deceased), Mrs. Eleta Crosby, Mrs. Carla Devet, Mrs. Eileen Ecker, Mrs. Ann Gutteridge (deceased), Mrs. Marlene Henry, Mrs. Thelma McIntosh, Mrs. Lois Frances Pilot, Mrs. June Reggler, Mrs. Georgina Religa, Mrs. Eva Saville, Mrs. Mary Lou Sparks, Mrs. Lorine Spofford, and Mrs.Bernice Vermette.
Contact: RCMP Media Relations, National Communication Services NCS,
(613) 843-5999
Graham Muir, President of the RCMP Veterans’ Association, Ottawa Branch
(613) 878-3509
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