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Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Historically relevant dates to the RCMP

The following are important dates in the history of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

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The RCMP presents Queen Elizabeth II with the gift of Burmese, a RCMP service horse that had served on the Musical ride.

1873 to 1903

May 3, 1873
The Act establishing the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was first introduced in the House by then Prime Minister John A. Macdonald.
May 23, 1873
The bill passed unopposed through Parliament and received Royal Assent on this date. However, it did not immediately establish the NWMP, as it was merely an emergency measure.
August 30, 1873
Order-in-Council signed by the Governor General, Lord Dufferin, bringing the NWMP formally and legally into existence.
September 25, 1873
The NWMP's first officers were appointed by Order in Council, including the first interim Commissioner of the NWMP, Lieutenant Colonel W. Osborne Smith.
October 18, 1873
George Arthur French takes over as Commissioner of the NWMP, the first permanent Commissioner of the organization.
November 3, 1873
The first 150 recruits for the NWMP gather at Lower Fort Garry.
June 6, 1874
The second contingent of the NWMP consisting of 217 officers and regular members left Toronto for Fort Dufferin to assemble for the March West.
July 8, 1874
The March West begins at Fort Dufferin.
October 9, 1874
Under the command of Assistant Commissioner Macleod, B, C and F Divisions arrived at the notorious Fort Whoop Up to bring peace and order to the volatile region. However, word had spread of their impending arrival and they found the Fort almost empty.
December 1, 1874
Assistant Commissioner Macleod met with Crowfoot, the head Chief of the Blackfoot Nation, to help establish friendly ties. Their relationship would lead to the successful creation of Treaty 7.
April 10, 1875
Order in Council authorized the establishment of a post on the Bow River; after several weeks of construction, it was referred to as the Bow Fort and Fort Brisebois, before Assistant Commissioner Macleod suggested the name "Calgary", Gaelic for "clear, running water".
1876
First public performance of riding skills at Fort Macleod.
March 11, 1876
Sub Constable John Nash dies at Fort Macleod,the first member of the Honour Roll for those who have passed away in the line of duty.
May 24, 1876
The NWMP band made its first public appearance, celebrating the Queen's birthday.
July 22, 1876
James Farquharson Macleod takes over as the third Commissioner of the NWMP.
November 1, 1880
Acheson Gosford Irvine takes over the command of the NWMP.
February 28, 1884
William Armstrong, (Regimental Number 843), passes away while a member at Depot Division. He is believed to be one of the first members of the NWMP to be buried at the cemetery at Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan.
March 26, 1885
The Northwest Resistance begins at the Battle of Duck Lake.
May 9, 1885 to May 12, 1885
The Battle of Batoche, the final conflict of the Northwest Resistance.
July 2, 1885
Northwest Resistance leader Big Bear surrenders at Fort Carlton.
1886
Riding school established at Regina.
1887
Musical Ride first performed at Regina, Saskatchewan.
June 5, 1895
A NWMP contingent leaves under the command of Inspector Charles Constantine for the Yukon, in the extension of law and order to the northern frontier.
August 17, 1896
Gold is found at Bonanza Creek, sparking what was to become the Klondike Gold Rush. NWMP patrolled the area under the command of the great Sir Samuel Benfield Steele.
June 1897
NWMP contingent appears at Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. This was the first appearance of the Mounted Police on the international stage as well as the first use of the Stetson and the more modern uniform of the Force.
March 8, 1900
Members of the NWMP volunteering for the Lord Strathcona Horse, to fight during the South African War, receive asendoff at Parliament Hill.
July 5, 1900
Arthur H.L. Richardson (Regimental Number 3058) awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Wolve Spruit, South Africa, while serving with Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) during the South African War (1899-1902).
August 1, 1900
Aylesworth Bowen Perry takes over as Commissioner of the North-West Mounted Police, a position he would hold during its change to the Royal North-West Mounted Police in 1904 and to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1920.
September 28, 1901
Two troops of the NWMP escorted His Royal Highness the Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V) during his visit to Calgary. This was one of the last occasions on which the old style full dress uniform was used by the organization, as it would change by the following year to a style more akin to today's uniform.
1903
Detachments established at Herschel Island and Fullerton.
April 29, 1903
A gigantic wedge of limestone from Turtle Mountain crashes on the town of Frank, killing seventy persons. NWMP reinforcements are sent to the area, with a local detachment temporary converted into a hospital for the injured.

1904 to 1919

June 24, 1904
King Edward VII confers the title of "Royal" upon the North-West Mounted Police as a part of the Coronation Honours.
July 21, 1908
An Order in Council officially approves the fingerprint system.
July 28, 1908
The Musical Ride performs in Quebec City as part of the Tercentenary celebrations, the first time it did so in Eastern Canada. The Prince of Wales was in attendance, the first member of the Royal Family to witness the Ride. The riding school was first established in 1886 in Regina, and the first performances out west took place in 1887.
December 21, 1910
Under the command of Inspector Francis Fitzgerald, a patrol leaves Fort McPherson for Dawson. The patrol would face adverse weather conditions and would become lost, resulting in the death of all four members. This case has become known as "The Lost Patrol".
March 21 to March 22, 1911
The bodies of the four members of what was to be known as the "Lost Patrol" are found, only 20 kilometers from their original starting point. They were found by Corporal W.J. Dempster, a highly experienced and skilled member who executed many successful northern patrols.
February 1, 1915
Michael O'Leary (Regimental Number 5685) is awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Cuinchy, France, while serving with the British Army's Irish Guards.
January 1, 1917
The Royal North-West Mounted Police (RNWMP) is relieved of provincial policing duties in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the creation of their own Provincial Police forces.
August 1917
Murder trial of Sinnisiak and Uluksak at Edmonton, Alberta. These two men were being trialed for the murder of two Oblate priests in 1913. This is one of the earliest examples of criminal law being enforced amongst the Inuit.
October 30 to October 31, 1917
George Randolph Pearkes (#Regimental Number 5529) is awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Passchendaele, Belgium, while serving with the Canadian Mounted Rifles.
April 18, 1918
A draft for overseas service commenced for a volunteer squadron of RNWMP members to participate in the First World War. The 200 regular members and 500 new recruits would be known as RNWMP Squadron A.
November 17, 1918
A second group of members of the RNWMP go overseas to Vladivostok to guard the Trans Siberian Railway. RNWMP Squadron B would play an important role towards the end of the First World War.
1919
The entire arctic was under Canadian jurisdiction containing 25 detachments and over 70 men.
June 21, 1919
Members of the RNWMP clash with demonstrators during the Winnipeg General Strike.
July 14, 1919
An Order in Council increases the size of the RNWMP to twenty-five hundred members, a significant increase from the three hundred limit under the North-West Mounted Police Act in 1873.

1920 to the present

February 1, 1920
The Royal North-West Mounted Police becomes the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) with the absorption of the Dominion Police. RCMP Headquarters moved from Regina, Saskatchewan to Ottawa, Ontario.
June 1, 1928
The RCMP takes over provincial policing duties for Saskatchewan.
February 17, 1932
With the help of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals and bush pilot Wilfred "Wop" Mays, the Mad Trapper of Rat River is cornered, bringing to end a manhunt which had taken the life of one member of the RCMP.
April 1, 1932
The RCMP absorbs the provincial police organizations for Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
April 1, 1932
The RCMP Marine Section is created when 32 patrol boats and 246 officers and men are transferred from the Department of National Revenue's Preventive Services fleet
May 12, 1933
King George V confers 4 Campaign Honours on the RCMP for its military service during the Northwest Rebellion, South African War and First World War.
April 13, 1935
The RCMP Guidon is presented by the Governor General, The Earl of Bessborough at a dismounted ceremony held in the riding school in Regina due to inclement weather.
April 1, 1937
The RCMP Air Services is created with the purchase of 4 De Havilland Dragonflys.
May 22, 1937
The first official patrol by an RCMP aircraft was made by Commissioner MacBrien and two other members, aboard a DeHavilland Dragonfly.
December 10, 1939
A contingent of RCMP members set sail for Europe as the No.1 Provost Company, to serve as military police during the Second World War.
June 23, 1940
The RCMP vessel St. Roch leaves Vancouver for its historic voyage through the Northwest Passage.
October 11, 1942
The St. Roch arrives in Halifax from Vancouver after two years spent navigating the Northwest Passage.
October 16, 1944
RCMP Schooner St. Roch arrives at Vancouver having traversed arctic waters through Lancaster Sound and Barrow Strait in 86 days (departed Halifax on July 22, 1944). She became the first vessel to traverse the Northwest Passage in both directions.
September 7, 1945
Soviet cipher clerk Igor Gouzenko granted protective custody in Ottawa. On September 5th Gouzenko left the Soviet embassy in Ottawa with documents outlining Soviet espionage activities.
January 16, 1946
Dr. Frances McGill is appointed the RCMP's first Honourary Surgeon.
1950
The St. Roch travels through the Panama Canal becoming the first vessel to circumnavigate the entire North American continent.
September 21, 1957
Ceremony held on Parliament Hill where the Honourable George R. Pearkes, V.C., Minister of National Defence, presented the Honorary Distinction of the badge of the Canadian Provost Corps and a scroll with the dates 1939 to 1945 to the RCMP for inclusion on the Force's Guidon in recognition of the RCMP's service during the Second World War.
April 1, 1960
Civilian Member category created in the RCMP for work in the crime detection laboratories and various technical fields.
1966
Last year that equestrian training was mandatory for all recruits.
June 30, 1967
David Lawrence Harding (Regimental Number 25828) commences his training at Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan. He is the first Black Member of the RCMP.
June 10, 1968
First female to achieve Chief Scientist in Serology at the RCMP Laboratories - Patricia Alain (Regimental Number C532).
March 1969
The last patrol by dog team departs from Old Crow, on their way to Fort McPherson and Arctic Red River.
April 28, 1969
RCMP presents Queen Elizabeth II with the gift of Burmese, a RCMP service horse that had served on the Musical ride. This is the first horse given to Queen Elizabeth II as a gift by the RCMP.
May 23, 1969
First Officer in Charge of the Forensic Laboratory in Winnipeg - Catherine Purchase (Regimental Number C651).
September 3, 1970
Commissioner W.L. Higgitt is presented with the Commissioner's Tipstaff by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. The tipstaff serves in the same way as a badge of the Queen's authority for law enforcement.
July 4, 1973
The second Guidon of the RCMP was presented to Commissioner Higgitt by Queen Elizabeth II during the Force's centennial celebrations at Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan.
March 3, 1975
The first all-female troop graduated from Depot Division in Regina.
May 15, 1977
The RCMP presents Queen Elizabeth II with the gift of Centenial, a RCMP service horse that the Queen had selected on August 2, 1973 as a part of the RCMP's Centennial celebrations. Centenial is deliberately spelled with only one "N". This is the second horse given to Queen Elizabeth II as a gift by the RCMP.
1978
First civilian member Officer in Charge of Translation Branch - Thérèse Ayotte (Regimental Number C63).
April 1, 1981
First female promoted to corporal - Corporal Diane Sheppard (Wright) (Regimental Number 31824).
1981
First 2 females on the Musical Ride:
  • January 15, 1981: Constable Joan Merk (Regimental Number 34018)
  • January 23, 1981: Constable Chris Windover (Mackie) (Regimental Number 32341)
July 20, 1982
Shelley Peters (Regimental Number 37949) is the first Black woman to join the RCMP.
July 16, 1984
The RCMP Security Service ceases to exist with its duties taken over by the newly formed civilian agency called the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
December 17, 1984
First female in the RCMP Band - Constable Kerry Ann Kutz (Regimental Number S2874).
August 21, 1987
First female in Air Division - Nancy Puttkemery (Regimental Number S3367) (deceased on duty in 1989).
1988
First female instructors at the Training Academy in Regina:
  • April 21, 1989: Judy Best (Regimental Number 33978)
  • September 19, 1988: Millie Norry (Regimental Number O1788)
  • October 3, 1988: Raymonde Pharand (Regimental Number 35533)
  • October 17, 1988: Nancy McKerry (Regimental Number 34369)
  • October 25, 1988: Betty Glassman (Regimental Number 31826)
  • October 28, 1988: Karen Adams (Regimental Number 31801)
  • November 28, 1988: Ruby Burns (Regimental Number 32691)
April 6, 1988
First female to a foreign post in Lyon, France - Sergeant Marie Pilotte (Regimental Number 31808).
November 1, 1988
First civilian member Officer in Charge - Strategic Planning & Corporate Policy Branch - Tonita Murray (Regimental Number 32691).
1989
The last female-only troop goes through the RCMP Academy at Depot Division.
March 15, 1989
First female on the RCMP Honour Roll. Constable Della Beyak (Regimental Number 40153) was killed in an automobile accident while on duty on March 15, 1989 near Assiniboia, Saskatchewan.
June 1989
First RCMP Sunset Ceremonies held at the stables in Ottawa.
October 19, 1989
A 100-member RCMP contingent sent to Namibia to monitor elections with the United Nations' mission United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG). This was the first time the RCMP participated in a United Nations (UN) mission./dd>
1990
Baltej Singh Dhillon becomes the first Member of the RCMP to be issued with a turban while undergoing recruit training at the RCMP Academy at Regina, Saskatchewan.
January 29, 1990
First female detachment commander - Cindy Villeneuve (Regimental Number O1647), LaColle Detachment, Quebec.
March 15, 1990
The Solicitor General announces that the regulations in place since 1974 would be changed to have female members wear the same red serge uniform as male members.
June 2, 1991
RCMP Ensigns created for each division in the RCMP.
1992
Women are issued the iconic Stetson, boots and breeches for the first time.
1992
First female commissioned officers:
  • June 11, 1992: Beverly Busson (Regimental Number O1643)
  • July 16, 1992: Cindy Villeneuve (Regimental Number O1647)
  • October 29, 1992: Line Carbonneau (Regimental Number O1662)
March 16, 1992
First female civilian member engaged as an electronic technician - Grace Ann Piche (Regimental Number C4326).
July 21, 1993
J.C. Picard (Regimental Number 29820/O1687) is the first self-identified Black male commissioned officer in the RCMP.
November 22, 1993
First female drill instructor at the RCMP Academy - Debbie Reitenbach (Regimental Number 36934).
January 3, 1994
First female Deputy Commissioner - Corporate Management - Mireille Badour (PS17804).
August 31, 1998
First female Assistant Commissioner and first female Commanding Officer of a division - Beverly Busson (Regimental Number O1643). On March 23, 1999 she accepted a post as head of the new Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia - Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada (CISC).
October 27, 1998
RCMP presents Queen Elizabeth II with the gift of James, a RCMP service horse. This is the third horse given to Queen Elizabeth II as a gift by the RCMP.
June 18, 1999
First female Commanding Officer of Depot Division (RCMP Training Academy) - Lynn Twardosky (Regimental Number O1713).
October 14, 2002
Queen Elizabeth II presents the RCMP with the gift of Golden Jubilee, a horse from her own personal collection. This gift was given to the RCMP in recognition of the Queen's 50th year as reigning monarch.
August 15, 2003
First female member of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) - Constable Rhonda Blackmore (Regimental Number 44922)
December 16, 2006
First female Commissioner of the RCMP - Beverley Busson (MacDonald) (Regimental Number O1643)
September 18, 2007
Lori Seale-Irving (Regimental Number 42195/O.2473) is the first self-identified Black female commissioned officer in the RCMP.
May 16, 2009
RCMP presents Queen Elizabeth II with the gift of George, a RCMP service horse. This is the fourth horse given to Queen Elizabeth II as a gift by the RCMP.
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