JULY 2014, Volume #5 Issue #7 LAW ENFORCEMENT TORCH RUN On Friday, June 6th, seven members from the Wood Buffalo RCMP and Alberta Sheriffs took part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Alberta. The purpose of the ride is not only raise money for the Special Olympics of Alberta but also to raise awareness of the cause and encourage more people to volunteer with the association. The team of seven took to their bikes and cycled the nearly 500 KM from the Oil Sands Discovery Center in Fort McMurray to the RCMP s K-Division Headquarters in Edmonton. The riders managed to complete the ride to Edmonton in just over 19 hours, while cycling in some light rain and through temperatures that dropped down to 2 degrees overnight. By the time the riders reached Headquarters there were definitely some sore muscles, but the nearly $29,000 that was raised for Special Olympics of Alberta, made it all worth it. Congratulations to the Wood Buffalo Team thank you for supporting this great cause! THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE Wood Buffalo Detachment Fort McMurray, AB In This Issue 1 Law Enforcement Torch Run 2 Fort McKay Treaty Days 2 Farewell Cst. Wilkins 2 Citizenship Ceremonies 3 RCMP Has Fun at June Bug Festival 3 Sports Hall of Fame 4 Give us Room to Work 4 Vehicle Ovens 5 June is Seniors Month 5 Jet Boat Added to Fleet of RCMP vehicles 6 Police Chief for a Day Colouring Contest 7 RCMP Recruiting Poster Royal Canadian Mounted Police
farewell cst. wilkins The time has come to say good-bye to another member of the Wood Buffalo Community Police Unit. Cst. Christina Wilkins came to the unit in 2011 as the Media Relations Officer. In addition to this busy fulltime job, Cst. Wilkins was actively involved in many community based events, activities and programs and frequently presented on a variety of Safety and Crime Prevention topics. In 2013, Cst. Wilkins was an instrumental asset in the planning and organizing of various Centennial Celebration activities and actively participated in all events. Cst. Wilkins is continuing her journey with a promotion to Corporal as a Facilitator at the RCMP s national training facility in Regina. At this new post she will take on the role of contributing to the training of RCMP cadets in Applied Police Sciences. Cst. Wilkins departure is bittersweet, the Wood Buffalo Detachment is sad to see her leave, but wishes her the best of luck in her new endeavours. FORT mckay TREATY DAYS On June 20th, Cst Kandice Perry, Cst Natasha Lytwenko, Cst Janna Lloy, Cst Arminder Sunner of the Wood Buffalo Detachment attended Fort McKay s annual Treaty Days celebration. Members participated in the parade followed by the opening ceremonies where they accompanied dignitaries and other special guests onto the viewing stage. Monty the Safety Bear was also in attendance for the event where he mingled throughout the crowds of attendees interacting and handing out goodies to the children. citizenship CEREMONIES June 12th and 13th, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo celebrated as over 300 people from 45 countries become Canadian Citizens. Cst. Kandice Perry and Cst. Natasha Lytwenko from the Wood Buffalo Community Policing Unit, along with Judge Laurie Mozeson, Mayor Melissa Blake and Mary Thomas, Executive Director Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo, attended the celebrations. Westview Public School and the Oil Sands Discovery Center opened their doors for the celebrations and welcomed family and friends to the event. The official ceremony was presided over by Judge Laurie Mozeson, who expressed great pride and admiration for the individuals who completed the extensive processes for becoming a Canadian Citizen. Successful applicants took the final step in becoming a Canadian citizen by reciting the Oath of Citizenship. This is a declaration that a person will be loyal to the Queen, obey Canada s laws and customs and fulfill the duties of a Canadian citizen. The honor felt in the room was beyond words as fellow Canadians obtained their certificates. Since 2010, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has celebrated with over 2,000 individuals in becoming Canadian citizens. 2 www.woodbuffalorcmp.ca
RCMP HAS FUN AT JUNE BUG FESTIVAL The sun was shining, the bugs weren t out and Cst. Natasha Lytwenko and Monty were having a blast at this year s June Bug Festival. The 5th annual event which is organized and hosted by The Hub took place on June 14th at the Syncrude Athletic Park, where many people attended to participate in all the fun activities. The festival is a great family event and a major fundraiser for both local Hub locations in Fort McMurray. Cst. Lytwenko and Monty took full advantage of the festivities and participated in as many activities as possible. With the good weather and the music pumping, Monty was particularly energetic and scaled one of the bouncy castles in order to slide back down. Monty wasn t done there though, he pleaded with Cst. Lytwenko to get his face painted. She couldn t possibly say no to a bear on cloud nine so she gave in and allowed Monty to get his nose painted. The 2014 June Bug Festival was a raging success yet again! Cst. Lytwenko and Monty were among the many people that had a great time and enjoyed all the activities. The Wood Buffalo RCMP would like to congratulate the Hub on another successful event and we look forward to attending next year s festival. sports hall of fame On June 12th, Cst. Natasha Lytwenko and Cst. Kandice Perry, of the Wood Buffalo Community Policing Unit, were honoured to participate in the 2014 Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. In their formal Red Serge, the officers accompanied the honoured guest and inductees into the ballroom at the Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre. This year s inductees were Oil Barons founder Ches Dicks, former Knights rugby player and Coach Andy Lloyd, and long distance runner Bill Nielsen. Guest speaker for the event was Olympic Gold Medalist and National television host, Jon Montgomery, winner of the men s skeleton at the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Wood Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame was launched in 2006 to honor the history of sports in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo; in particular those individuals and teams who have achieved extraordinary distinction to the development and advancement of sport. For more information or to nominate someone, you can visit www.woodbuffalosports.com. www.woodbuffalorcmp.ca 3
give us room to work A few tips to remember as a motorist when you see lights of emergency vehicles include; On Thursday, June 12th, motorists travelling Highway 63 had the opportunity to participate in an education initiative involving emergency vehicles. This initiative was coordinated with various community stakeholders to educate the public on the rules of the road when approaching emergency vehicles. Staged vehicle checks were conducted by law enforcement officers on Highway 63; after passing the staged vehicles, motorists who were observed not slowing down to the 60 km/h speed limit were pulled over and educated on the proper way to approach emergency vehicles. Slow down! Drivers must slow down to 60 km/h or less. Failing to slow down may result in increased speed fines Avoid distractions Focus on your driving and not on what the emergency workers are doing Be aware that vehicles ahead of you may stop suddenly Follow directions given to you by emergency workers Give emergency workers enough time and space to do their jobs safely Emergency vehicles consist of police, ambulance, fire trucks, rescue trucks, tow trucks and public utility vehicles Please do your part to keep all emergency personnel safe and slow down when approaching an emergency vehicle. vehicle ovens in the heat. We wear sunscreen; we hydrate regularly, stay in the shade and limit our exposure to the sun. Why would we not do the same for our animals? Tragic situations can ensue, so always make sure your pets are either accompanying you or staying at home, and are never left in an unattended vehicle. The RCMP would like to remind all pet owners that even though we want to take our beloved furry friends with us everywhere, a hot vehicle on a summer day is unsafe. During the summer months an enclosed vehicle is like a sauna, or hot oven. Temperatures inside a vehicle can climb very quickly, even on days when there is a breeze or a few clouds in the sky. We, as humans, ensure we take necessary precautions to keep ourselves safe during the summer months, especially The same goes for parents of young children. Under no circumstances should a child be left unattended in a vehicle, even if just for a couple minutes. Out of safety concerns, anyone witnessing an animal or child left unattended in a vehicle is encouraged to take immediate action by reporting the incident to the local law enforcement. The Wood Buffalo RCMP is reminding everyone to stay safe during the warm summer months. 4 www.woodbuffalorcmp.ca
june is seniors month Wood Buffalo is currently the only Municipality in Alberta who celebrates seniors for an entire month and to kick off the month-long celebrations, the Golden Years Society held their Seniors of the Year Opening Ceremony on June 1st. Cst. Jesse Jones and Cst. Kandice Perry from the Wood Buffalo Detachment were honored to attend the celebration in Red Serge and show their appreciation to these deserving seniors. This year, the two seniors nominated for the award were Brian Howe and Adrienne Leitz, who have been long time residents of Fort McMurray and have shown their dedication through volunteering countless hours to the community. Congratulations and thank you Brian and Adrienne! JET BOAT ADDED TO FLEET OF RCMP VEHICLES The Wood Buffalo RCMP has a new Jet Boat in their fleet of enforcement vehicles. The boat will be used to patrol and respond to calls for assistance on the various waterways throughout the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. The Jet Boat will greatly enhance the RCMP s ability to educate the public and conduct enforcement on a variety of offences and Acts which may include; Impaired Operation of a Vessel Illegal Possession & Consumption of Alcohol in a Vessel Canada Shipping Act/Small Vessel Regulations Canada Fisheries Act Alberta Fishery Regulations Alberta Wildlife Act The new Jet Boat will be out on the water over the summer months to ensure public safety and hand out important brochures about safe boating. RCMP would like to remind boaters of a few safety tips while out on the water; Carry your documents Monitor the weather. Before heading out get the latest forecast for the area Make a sale plan. Ensure that someone knows that you will be on the water and your planned route Ensure you have all appropriate safety equipment, based on boat size Wear a lifejacket or a personal floatation device at all times. Note that lifejackets offer a higher level of protection Don t cruise with booze! You might harm yourself and others. Drinking and driving whether on land or water is against the law. For more information on boating safety, visit the Office of Boating Safety website at www.boatingsafety.gc.ca. www.woodbuffalorcmp.ca
POLICE CHIEF FOR A DAY RCMP WOOD BUFFALO DETACHMENT Please submit your entry at the RCMP Detachment in Timberlea by August 29, 2014 NAME: ADDRESS: PHONE #: AGE: M/F:
WE RE HIRING! NOUS EMBAUCHONS! RCMPCAREERS.CA CARRIERESGRC.CA CAREER PRESENTATION September 12, 2014 at 6 PM Wood Buffalo RCMP Detachment 105 Paquette Drive Fort McMurray, AB PRÉSENTATION SUR LES CARRIÈRES* Le 12 septembre 2014 à 18h Détachement de la GRC de Wood Buffalo 105 Paquette Drive Fort McMurray (AB) Attendance at a career presentation is the first step in the application process. / Participer à une séance d information sur les carrières est la première étape du processus de recrutement. *Veuillez noter que cette séance sera présentée en anglais. Registration / Inscription: 1-877-RCMP-GRC (1-877-726-7472)