One of the most important jobs in Canada is as a member of the police force or the Royal Canadian Mountain Police. These men and women protect and serve Canada every day; they risk their own lives and safety for our protection. Usually, in order to become a member of the RCMP, one must graduate high school and complete three to five years of training at Depot, the RCMP training facility in Regina, Saskatchewan. However, students at Riverside Secondary School can get an early start to RCMP training.

Students at Riverside Secondary in grades 10-12 can apply for the SD43 RCMP Youth Academy by seeing either Ms. Rochelle David, the career resource facilitator, or their counsellor. In the SD43 RCMP Youth Academy, students will learn about the every day roles and activities of an RCMP member.

“At the RCMP Youth Academy, students will be placed in simulated RCMP experiences. This will involve role-playing, physical training, social and communication aspects, and receiving instruction on law. It gives students a live look at what the job is like in reality. If a student is planning a career in policing, the academy gives them a really good opportunity,” said Ms. David.

Riverside Secondary has a history and a connection with the RCMP. For many years, Riverside Secondary has hosted the Red Serge Volleyball Tournament, one of the most prestigious high school volleyball tournaments in the province for senior girls. The best senior girls’ volleyball high school teams from around the province compete in the championship. The tournament has been held at Riverside Secondary for a long time, having a direct relationship with the RCMP. The RCMP is the main sponsor of the Red Serge Volleyball Tournament and every year RCMP members are in attendance for the tournament, participating in the opening ceremonies and some fun volleyball-related activities. They also use the tournament as a platform to elaborate to the audience and the participants about a career in the RCMP.

Inspector Nav Hothi the spokesperson at the tournament.

“The RCMP, for 19 years has been the primary sponsor of the tournament. They became involved as a method to connect with the community and females, and they used the tournament to promote values of the RCMP and share that with women. The message that the spokesperson, inspector Nav Hothi, was trying to communicate was to try to make clear that RCMP values are similar to the values of playing on a sports team: teamwork, selflessness, hard work, and family.  She was trying to communicate that the RCMP is like a big team working towards a goal,” said Mr. Bryan Gee.

The RCMP is a great career path for anybody, and even though only around 24% of RCMP members are women, the RCMP is a great career path for young women, and with Riverside Secondary having a direct connection with the RCMP, as well as offering the SD43 RCMP Youth Academy, students at Riverside Secondary can get an early start to becoming a member of one of Canada’s proud institutions.