(ADAM PROSKIW / iNFOnews.ca)
June 20, 2019 - 3:00 PM
NORTH OKANAGAN - North Okanagan-Shuswap Member of Parliament Mel Arnold introduced a bill today in parliament that would recognize February 1 as Royal Canadian Mounted Police Day.
"As we prepare to mark a century of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police defending the law and keeping Canadians safe, it is fitting to recognize the RCMP’s service with an annual day of recognition,” Arnold said in a media release.
Arnold's bill follows other steps made by Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster who introduced a provincial bill May 1, and the Manitoba legislature which has established February 1 as Royal Canadian Mounted Police day in the province.
According to the media release, a driving force in establishing an RCMP day comes from the grass-roots Vernon organization RCMP Day in Canada Committee.
"We want to recognize the commitment that the men and women of the RCMP have made and continue to make each and every day," Martin von Holst chair of the RCMP Appreciation Day Committee said in the release. "RCMP members leave their homes and families to put their lives on the line to serve and protect us and our communities across Canada and for that we are deeply grateful."
The was established on Feb. 1, 1920, when the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, founded in 1873, and the Dominion Police, founded in 1868, were merged. The RCMP of today is made up of almost 30,000 individuals- 18,000 frontline members and 12,000 support personnel.
Founded in 1873, the Royal Northwest Mounted Police merged with the Dominion Police, founded in 1868, on Feb.1 1920 to form the RCMP. Today the RCMP has almost 30,000 staff, including 18,000 frontline members and 12,000 support personnel.
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