Yesterday marked the Town of Okotoks' first RCMP Day.

A ceremony was held for the occasion, wherein local officers, first responders, media, and politicians gathered at the RCMP Detachment.

The day coincides with the formation of the RCMP, with yesterday being the 100th anniversary of the event.

Initially, the idea was brought to town council by the leadership council from St. Mary's School, and approved by town council on January 27th.

The students wrote letters to council with their proposal, and received periodic updates from Mayor Bill Robertson himself.

Principal of St. Mary's, Brandon Bailey says it was a great learning experience for the students.

"It was kind of two-pronged; not only were they able to get this initiative going and recognize the RCMP for their great work, but they also learned about that active citizenship role of what they can do to make a difference in their community."

Currently, the occasion isn't recognized nationally, with Manitoba being the only province with their own RCMP day.

Protective Services Director for the town Kelly Steinwand says he hopes to see other provinces follow suit.

"I know the AUMA put a resolution forward, which was sponsored by our town council, to have February 1st proclaimed as RCMP Day here in Alberta. Now, we haven't heard back from that yet, but certainly in support of that resolution, our council went ahead and made February 1st RCMP Day here in Okotoks."

He says he was pleasantly surprised at the large reception.

"We thought it was going to be relatively informal today, but certainly more people showed up than I was expecting. That just really is a tribute to the support that we have for our RCMP members, and it doesn't surprise me to see some of the faces that showed up today. What a great day for the town and what a great day for the RCMP."

Among those in attendance were Mayor Bill Robertson, Foothills MP John Barlow, and Chief Superintendent Trevor Daroux.

 

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