Mountie

Regina, Saskatchewan – Actor Leslie Neilsen’s father was a Mountie, as was Francis Dickens (1844-1886), son of author Charles Dickens. Francis immigrated to Canada to join.

The North West Mounted Police enabled the peaceful settlement of Canada’s west. Known today as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Regina is the sole training academy for the new members of this world-famous police force. You can learn about the history of the RCMP (such as the friendship and respect between Major James Walsh and Chief Sitting Bull) at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Heritage Centre. You can can also take tours of the training depot, watch the cadets practice drills in the Sergeant Major’s Parade, and enjoy and Sunset Retreat Ceremony. Cadets graduate every two weeks from the here, a total of about 500 per year. Sunset Retreat Ceremonies schedule.

RCMP Dog Suzanna

One of the most endearing cadets has finally graduated. Meet Suzanna: a cadet at Regina RCMP Training Depot that almost never left. She was a gift from the Queen in 2009 and even had her own business card.

The 4 year-old yellow lab was named for one of the Queen’s favorite books: Susannah of the Mounties. Suzanna was to be a service dog, but that didn’t work out so well. When I visited I was told that when they took her aboard a training plane to search for a bomb, she simply went sat in 1st class. So, she was given her own business card and she hung out at the training depot, usually with the Commanding Officer. She ducked me the last time I visited, but this image of her was displayed on the wall surrounding new construction at the training depot. Apparently, one of the best places to spot her was beside the chapel, where she enjoyed rolling in the mud. In the spring of 2013 Suzanna moved on to a new home in New Brunswick. Perhaps a replacement will have been recruited by the time you visit.