Ridge Meadows RCMP staff and members of the public flooded Memorial Peace Park on Saturday to help celebrate the RCMP’s 150th anniversary.
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To kick off the event, Supt. Wendy Mehat spoke about the important role that the detachment plays in the community and the interesting history since its creation many years ago.
“We purchased our very first police car in 1922,” said Mehat. “And in 1985, the building right behind me was first opened, and that was when we had a population of 30,000 people.”
Maple Ridge Councillor Sunny Schiller also touched on the detachment’s long history when speaking on behalf of Mayor Dan Ruimy.
“The City of Maple Ridge has had a long partnership with the RCMP, starting in 1951 with the first detachment set up in Port Hammond,” said Schiller. “We now have 129 uniformed officers with the Ridge Meadows detachment, supported by 56 civilian staff members who are employees of the City of Maple Ridge.”
When Pitt Meadows Mayor Nicole MacDonald took her turn on the mic, she expressed her deep gratitude for police officers and their families.
“What I want to really recognize and celebrate here today is our front-line officers,” said Mayor MacDonald. “It is a tough environment out there. Dealing with so many criminal elements, mental health, and addiction. Thank you to the officers that go out every single day to create healthy and safe environments for our families.”
This open house event included a variety of kid’s games, an in-depth tour of the police station, and more than a dozen booths containing RCMP tools and gifts for people to check out.
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