March 6, 2014 – Ottawa
The Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and Roxanne James, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, today spoke at an event held by Women in Defence and Security Canada (WiDS) to honour the memory of a fallen female RCMP officer and to present the 2014 WiDS Memorial Scholarship award.
The WiDS Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually with a goal of encouraging women to pursue careers related to national security and defence in Canada. Each year, the scholarship honours the memory of women who fell in the line of duty.
This year, the WiDS Memorial Scholarship is honouring the memory of RCMP Constable Della Beyak, who was the first female RCMP officer killed while on duty 25 years ago. This year also marks the 40th anniversary of women first joining the RCMP as regular members.
Jason Tamming
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
613-991-2924
Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
