Honouring Our Fallen Member and the Nova Scotia Victims

The following is from Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Strachan, Commanding Officer, E Division:

“We continue to connect with our colleagues in Nova Scotia as they continue to deal with the unimaginable and tragic events.  Significant work still needs to be done to investigate the circumstances.  However, it is important that we dont forget about the tremendous efforts and actions taken by the dispatchers, frontline members, Critical Incident responders and many more who deployed that day.  The wellness of our people and the community remains a priority.

In light of the tragic chain of events that culminated in the passing of at least 22 people including one of our own, Cst. Heidi  Stevenson,  H Division has taken the lead and is requesting our assistance  to  honour the fallen by conducting a moment of silence nationwide at precisely 1000 hrs (PST), this Friday April 24th.

H Division, amongst other provinces, are under strict directions to maintain social distancing and refrain from partaking in any gatherings of more than 5 people. As Canadas national police force, who is responsible for enforcing the Quarantine Act amongst other agencies, we need to remain accountable. To show our support of the strict directions H Division is navigating around, E Division will operate under the same strict guidelines in fairness to those that cannot in these difficult times. It is imperative that we display strong leadership and solidarity with our colleagues during times of grief.

DETAILS:

On Friday April 24th at 1000hrs (PST)

On Shift essential employees:

Detachment Commanders/ Supervisors may allow, based on operational restrictions; a gathering of no more than 5 employees at their Memorial Wall, Detachment Flag Mast or other supported infrastructure. Social distancing of at least 2 metres between employees must be maintained at all time.

All other Regular Members (RMs) working that are not actively engaged in policing activities, as well as our civilian employees, are encouraged to hold a moment of silence.

If the employees are RMs, they will wear their service order (patrol uniform). RMs are encouraged to wear a red undershirt and their blue Police Memorial Ribbon.  Civilian employees are encouraged to wear red. **Review order (Red Tunic) may only be worn by employees working from home, as only essential workers are to be out at Detachments**

For employees working from home:

Employees working from home may wear their review order with stripped or full Sam Brown (full with lanyard) or wear a red item of clothing along with a blue Police Memorial Ribbon.

The Prime Minister announced a virtual vigil for all the victims in Nova Scotia. It will be held on Facebook at 7 pm Atlantic time (3 pm Pacific time).  Information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/161680291833020/

A nationwide social media campaign (#WearRedFriday, #NovaScotiaStrong and #RCMPNeverForget) is also being done to show support on Friday. Should you wish to participate, we ask that you work with our E Division Communications team and your local communications individuals. Please ensure that your selfies or photos reflect social distancing and gathering size limitations and also appropriately show our respect to the victims. Photos and a confirmation that can be used publicly can be sent to bcrcmp_mro@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.  Please be mindful of the workplace social media policy (http://infoweb.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/pa-ap/communications/sm-ms-eng.htm ) that is in place should you wish to post photos on your personal social media accounts.

The Wear Red Campaign began as a movement by the military to support troops in Afghanistan, and was later adopted to honour fallen Mounties after the 2014 Moncton shootings. It is a great way to support our fallen member and the other victims in Nova Scotia.

As we all continue to work through the devastating loss, I ask that you please remember to look after your wellness and your colleagues, particularly our uniformed members and amazing dispatchers who work hard to keep us safe. Reach out or access the supports in place should you need them. (http://infoweb.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hr-rh/health-sante/ment/talk-parler-eng.htm )

Be well.

Jennifer

Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Strachan
Commanding Officer, E Division”