‘A perfect spot for him’: Supt. Joe Atherton’s unusual journey from beneath a flagpole to his final resting place

July 24, 2026 - British Columbia, British Columbia
From: British Columbia RCMP

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After a long and unusual journey that started with whispers about the remains of a Mountie buried under a flagpole in Vancouver, Supt. Joe Atherton has finally reached his final resting place at the RCMP Cemetery at Depot Division in Regina.

It’s a tale now part of RCMP history, showing how a small group of determined people came together to ensure one of their own wasn’t forgotten with the passage of time.

Supt. Joe Atherton proudly served 35 years with the RCMP, retiring in 1967 as the Commanding Officer of the RCMP’s Vancouver Sub-Division. Predeceased by his beloved wife, he passed away in 1988 without close family in B.C. to lay him to rest. 

“When Joe died we understood that some kind of hasty funeral arrangements had been made,” explained Supt. Atherton’s nephew, Tony Atherton. “We couldn’t get out there for the service at the time, and we just assumed he had been sort of tucked away in some normal niche of a cemetery.”

But, as it turns out, that wasn’t the case. 

As legend had it, Supt. Atherton’s cremated remains were buried by some of his closest Mountie buddies at a place he loved, the RCMP’s Fairmont Barracks building on the Heather Lands in Vancouver which served as BC RCMP headquarters at the time. It was said he was laid to rest under the east side of the flagpole, so he could greet the sunrise every morning. 

While a romantic idea, decades later, the oral history of Supt. Atherton collided with a growing BC RCMP that had moved its provincial headquarters to Surrey, and a changing city that left the Fairmont Barracks site slated for demolition.     

Through ongoing advocacy from the RCMP Veteran’s Association (RCMPVA), which had been looking into the unconfirmed rumours as part of a book, a project to locate the remains was launched in 2021 at the direction of the BC RCMP’s Commanding Officer (CO). 

After a multi-year inquiry which included interviews, genealogical research, and archive checks, a tactical ground search was undertaken at the site by the RCMP in June 2024 which resulted in Supt. Atherton’s remains being unearthed from beneath the flagpole, just as the legend had said.

The Mounties had their man, but with the discovery of the urn, there were new tasks, including locating family and determining Supt. Atherton’s final resting place. 

During that time, Insp. Veronica Fox, who had conducted the inquiry into Supt. Atherton’s whereabouts through her role as the CO’s Executive Officer, had the added honour of becoming the caretaker for Supt. Atherton’s remains. 

“He became, in a way, my silent partner at work, with his urn safely tucked away in my office,” said Insp. Fox. “As family members were located and as I learned more about him, about his relationship with the RCMP, I started to feel a kinship with him.” 

Tony Atherton is one of the extended family members that ended up in touch with Insp. Fox through her searches of genealogy websites. 

“It came totally out of the blue,” Tony Atherton said of hearing from the RCMP about the unique circumstances of his uncle’s burial. “The Atherton boys were known as rule-followers, and my uncle being a policeman, even more so. So the fact he sort of flouted the law and convention at the end of his life was quite fascinating to us.” 

Members of the Atherton family now faced an unexpected question that came with a deep sense of responsibility: where did they believe Supt. Atherton, or to them, just Joe, would have wanted to be laid to rest all these years later? 

“He obviously wanted to be buried in the arms of the RCMP in some way,” Tony Atherton said. “The more we learned, it made logical sense for him to be buried at Depot, in the charming cemetery they have there.”

After much planning, and a 2025 ceremony in B.C. where Supt. Atherton’s ashes were sealed in a specially designed urn commemorative of his service, funeral plans were eventually set.

On Saturday, May 30, 2026, Supt. Atherton’s extended family gathered with members of the RCMP and representatives from the RCMPVA for a Catholic service beneath the stained-glass windows of the RCMP Chapel at Depot Division to honour Supt. Atherton’s life, legacy, and service. 

“It was quite moving,” said Tony Atherton, who delivered the eulogy. “My uncle was an accomplished archer, a carver, but I was remembering particularly how wonderful my uncle was with my Auntie Eileen who lived with Multiple Sclerosis, and how he doted on her. Sort of calling up that memory again made me choke up a bit.” 

For Cpl. Donna Morse (ret.), with the RCMPVA, who had worked tirelessly with her colleagues to research the rumours and push for the search in the first place, attending the service brought both closure and pride. 

“It was heartwarming, it was emotional,” she reflected. “Joe Atherton wasn’t just a name, he wasn’t just ashes. Through the service you got to know him. In the end, this was bigger than even him. It showed the force is a family and demonstrated how we care about others. It was the right thing to do.”

Supt. Atherton’s remains were then reinterred at the RCMP Cemetery.

It’s a place described by many as quiet and peaceful, where jackrabbits can frequently be seen roaming the grounds. 

“When I saw him go into the columbarium niche, it felt like now he is where he is supposed to be. After all the work that has gone into getting him there, now we can rest,” said Insp. Fox. 

Instead of greeting the morning sunrise alone under a flagpole, Supt. Atherton’s final resting place is now shaded by a beautiful elm tree. He rests alongside his fellow RCMP colleagues, with his remains inside an urn etched with the Fairmont Barracks building that had been so special to him during his life and career. 

“It’s a perfect spot for him,” said Tony Atherton. 

“Before this, our knowledge of Joe was relatively slight. This experience has allowed our family to put more focus on Joe, and I think this unique story is something that will now live on for generations.”

Quotes

“He became, in a way, my silent partner at work, with his urn safely tucked away in my office. As family members were located and as I learned more about him, about his relationship with the RCMP, I started to feel a kinship with him.” 

Insp. Veronica Fox, BC RCMP

“The Atherton boys were known as rule-followers, and my uncle being a policeman, even more so. So the fact he sort of flouted the law and convention at the end of his life was quite fascinating to us.” 

Tony Atherton, Supt. Joe Atherton's nephew

"Joe Atherton wasn’t just a name, he wasn’t just ashes. Through the service you got to know him. In the end, this was bigger than even him. It showed the force is a family and demonstrated how we care about others. It was the right thing to do.”

Cpl. Donna Morse (ret.), RCMP Veteran’s Association

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