RCMP Musical Ride makes 97-year-old Ontario woman's 'final wish' come true
By Mara Shaw
Human interest
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme and 97-year-old Joyce Crook sit front row to watch the Musical Ride Sunset Ceremonies in Ottawa.
Image by RCMP
September 19, 2024
Content
Transcript – Audio story: Joyce Crook
Narrator: Welcome to the RCMP Gazette. We cover the latest topics on policing, offer tips on crime prevention and safety, and highlight the exceptional work of RCMP employees at home and abroad. Keep listening for our latest audio story. At 97 Joyce Crook has seen a lot in her lifetime. She's seen the world transition from horse-drawn carriages to electric cars, and from handwritten letters to instant messages. In late June 2024, the spirited Toronto native added another memorable moment to her journey: once more attending an RCMP Musical Ride performance. Attending the performances was once a cherished family tradition for Crooks, and it was one she was determined to relive. Her love for the Musical Ride dates back to the 1930s, when she was a young girl growing up in Toronto. She vividly recalls attending the event with her family, captivated by the majestic horses and Mounties in Red Serge. Her father, a proud member of the Canadian military in the First World War, had instilled a great respect for the RCMP.
Joyce Crook: My father always used to say, 'If at any time we get separated, always go to a policeman; they will help you.' I'm all for the RCMP, I'm very proud of them. in our grade seven, we had a man teacher, and he had an uncle in the RCMP during the 30s and every once in a while, he would tell a story that his uncle had told him and the one that always impressed me was the story that he told the in those early early days...
Narrator: Over the years, Crook's admiration only grew. She began collecting RCMP Musical Ride memorabilia, including limited edition metal Mountie figurines. Although life became busier when she started her first job as a typist with the Toronto Police, and her visits to the Ride became less frequent, her respect for the RCMP and the memory of those summer days at the Musical Ride stayed with her.
Joyce Crook: You know, it's such a huge country; we need something to keep us together. A lot of these countries don't have that type of, of entertainment.
Narrator: In 2023, that nostalgia turned into a longing to experience the Ride once more. When she shared this with friends, they quickly reached out to Ride administrators to find out how they could make Joyce's wish come true. Sergeant Beverly White, former rider and current coordinator of client services for the RCMP Musical Ride and Heritage Branch, recalls learning of Joyce's wish that summer. She says friends of Joyce reached out, sharing that it was her 'final wish' to attend the 2024 Sunset Ceremonies in Ottawa and see the Musical Ride perform. Coincidentally, Joyce planned to attend the same night that RCMP Commissioner, Mike Duheme was hosting the Sunset Ceremonies. With the performance being an outdoor event, often at the mercy of the weather — given Joyce's age — Sgt. White wanted to make sure she would have access to sheltered seating. She reached out to the Commissioner's office and arranged for Joyce and her party to be seated under the Commissioner's tent. From there, things really took off. When the Commissioner heard about Joyce and her admiration for the RCMP he said he was determined to meet this special lady. Not only did Joyce attend the Sunset Ceremonies, she watched the spectacle seated next to the Commissioner, bonding over their fondness for the RCMP and its imprint on Canadian culture and heritage.
Joyce Crook: Coming to Ottawa and to being able to sit with the Commissioner and his wife and be right in the front row, and have my picture taken — I thought, 'I'm gonna wake up in a minute and find this was a dream.' It all happened so fast, and it was so exciting.
Narrator: The performance lasted nearly an hour, but for Joyce, time seemed to stand still. The rhythmic pounding of hoofs, the clever horsemanship, and the impressive choreography brought back a flood of memories, including those of her own leisurely rides in Toronto's large parks, free from cars and people.
Joyce Crook: You see today; speed is what they want. I don't think the younger ones are interested in horses. That's too slow. But if we have it, you know, every once in a while, come right across Canada, it would, it would give us something that we- we could all appreciate. We get the parents to tell the children about it.
Narrator: Narrator: As Joyce continues to share her stories with friends and family, she now has one more chapter to add: a testament to her enduring spirit and her lifelong love of Canada's iconic Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Though she left Ottawa with—an RCMP-stamped horseshoe and a crested brooch, both gifts from the Commissioner—Joyce says that most of all, she left with a feeling of honour and "unforgettable memories." Even so, it was Commissioner Duheme that says that the honour was all his. Thanks for listening to the RCMP Gazette's latest audio story. This audio story was written and narrated by Mara Shaw. Special thanks to the RCMP Digital Production team, for producing the story.
At 97 Joyce Crook has seen a lot in her lifetime. She's seen the world transition from horse-drawn carriages to electric cars, and from handwritten letters to instant messages. In late June 2024, the spirited Toronto native added another memorable moment to her journey: once more attending an RCMP Musical Ride performance.
A cherished family tradition
Attending the performances was once a cherished family tradition for Crooks, and it was one she was determined to relive. Crook's love for the Musical Ride dates back to the 1930s, when she was a young girl growing up in Toronto, Ontario. She vividly recalls attending the event with her family, captivated by the majestic horses and Mounties in Red Serge. Her father, a proud member of the Canadian military in the First World War, had instilled a great respect for the RCMP.
"My father always used to say, 'If we get separated, always go to a policeman; they will help you,'" Crook reminisces. "I'm all for the RCMP, I'm very proud of them. In my Grade 7 class, we had a teacher who used to share stories about an uncle in the RCMP and I was very impressed."
Over the years, Crook's admiration only grew. She began collecting RCMP Musical Ride memorabilia, including limited edition metal Mountie figurines. Though life became busier when she started her first job as a typist with the Toronto Police, and her visits to the Ride became less frequent, her respect for the RCMP and the memory of those summer days at the Musical Ride stayed with her.
"You know, it's such a huge country; we need something to keep us together," says Crook. "A lot of other countries don't have that type of national entertainment."
A night to remember
In 2023, her nostalgia turned into a longing to experience the Ride once more. When she shared this with friends, they quickly reached out to Ride administrators to find out how they could make Crook's wish come true.
Sergeant Beverly White, former rider and current coordinator of client services for the RCMP Musical Ride and Heritage Branch, recalls first learning about Crook's desire to see the Ride that summer. "[Her friends] said it was Ms. Crook's 'final wish' to attend the 2024 Sunset Ceremonies in Ottawa and see the Musical Ride perform," says White.
Coincidentally, Crook planned to attend the same night that RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme was hosting the Sunset Ceremonies. "The performance is an outdoor event and often at the mercy of the weather. Given Ms. Crook's age, I wanted to make sure she would have access to sheltered seating," adds White. White reached out to the Commissioner's office to arrange for Crook and her party to be seated under the Commissioner's tent. From there, things really took off.
"When I heard about Joyce and her admiration for the RCMP I just knew that I had to meet this special lady," says Commissioner Duheme.
Not only did Crook attend the Sunset Ceremonies, she watched the spectacle seated next to the Commissioner, bonding over their fondness for the RCMP and its imprint on Canadian culture and heritage.
"Coming to Ottawa and being able to sit with the Commissioner and his wife in the front row, and have my picture taken — I thought, 'I'm gonna wake up in a minute and find this was a dream,'" says Crook with delight.
Unforgettable memories
The performance lasted nearly an hour, but for Crook, time seemed to stand still. The rhythmic pounding of hoofs, the clever horsemanship, and the impressive choreography brought back a flood of memories, including those of her own leisurely rides in Toronto's large parks, free from cars and people.
"You see the youngsters today; speed is what they want. I don't think the younger ones are as interested in horses. That's too slow," suggests Crook. "But, if [the Musical Ride] tours across Canada, we need the parents to tell them about it, and keep that piece of heritage."
As Crook continues to share her stories with friends and family, she now has one more chapter to add: a testament to her enduring spirit and her lifelong love of Canada's iconic Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Though she left Ottawa with gifts from the Commissioner - an RCMP-stamped horseshoe and a crested brooch — Crook says that, most of all, she left with a feeling of honour and "unforgettable memories."
"It was a joy to meet Joyce and have her as my guest that evening," says Duheme. "After getting to know her and hearing her stories I can truly say, the honour was all mine."
