Pembroke – The Upper Ottawa Valley Heritage Centre (UOVHC) celebrated the launch of a new exhibit last Thursday recognizing the important role the Renfrew County detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) played for over 54 years.

Retired members and staff from the detachment who organized the exhibit welcomed retirees from other detachments and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), local dignitaries, friends, family and the public to the launch ceremony.

David Blaney, President of the UOVHC, said it was always exciting to get a new exhibit at the centre.

“And it’s even more exciting when those who are attached to the exhibit show up for the opening,” he remarked.

Pierre Dube, a former detachment commander of the RCMP’s Pembroke detachment, who helped spearhead the exhibit, thanked the Upper Ottawa Valley Heritage Centre for the opportunity to showcase the work the RCMP did in Renfrew County from 1942 to 1996.

“I’d like to mention, in particular, the support we received from David Blaney, president, Sylvia Whitmore, director, and Julia Klimack, administrator, in the creation of this display,” Mr. Dube said.

He acknowledged and thanked Kevin Lawton, the Executive Director of the RCMP Foundation, and active RCMP Constable Marcello Rimanelli, of the Ottawa Cyber Team, who was in review uniform, for attending. He also thanked the small working committee he was part of with retired members Al Bennett (Pembroke detachment) and Tammy Smith (Ottawa) and former Pembroke detachment clerk, Pat Bennett, who shared the memories and memorabilia.

“The RCMP has a proud 151-year history of service they have provided across Canada and today we acknowledge the 54 years of service that the RCMP provided in Renfrew County,” Mr. Dube noted. “It is fitting that this exhibit is unveiled during Police Week, and I’m pleased to have Ontario Provincial Police Acting Staff Sergeant Sarah Darraugh to join us this afternoon.

“We worked very closely with provincial and municipal police departments over the years and we want to acknowledge that support,” he added.

Mr. Dube said the exhibit will remain on display for the balance of 2024.

Mayor Ron Gervais described Thursday as a special day, saying the city was so fortunate to have an institution like the UOVHC to keep the local history alive.

“It’s just a true pleasure every time a new exhibit goes up and you get to learn a little bit more about the history of Pembroke and the surrounding communities,” he remarked.

He recalled how the former Pembroke Police Service (PPS) had been honoured for their many years of great service prior to its transition to the OPP in a similar exhibit at the musuem.

“So, too, it’s a pleasure to be here this afternoon to celebrate with all of you this excellent exhibit to commemorate the RCMP and what it did for our community.”

Mayor Gervais noted Bob Shepherd, who was the Federal Crown Attorney in the area for many years, had dropped in and shared with the mayor how the RCMP and PPS worked collaboratively to address various issues in the city.

“It’s so fitting that we heard from Mr. Dube about working collaboratively with the other forces, and that’s my understanding when I spoke with Mr. Shepherd, is that there was that collaboration, there was that unity in addressing different issues in the city of Pembroke,” he said.

He thanked Mr. Dube and his wife, Dawn, for putting the exhibit together, and for working with the UOVHC team to ensure it was a fitting exhibit to recognize and honour the RCMP.

Mr. Lawton said he was honoured to be representing the Foundation at the event.

“This exhibit, showcasing the RCMP Pembroke detachment, is a testament to the dedicated service, hard work and contributions of the RCMP in this community.”

He said the RCMP has played a vital role in shaping the fabric of communities across the nation since its inception in 1873.

“This exhibit provides an overview of the RCMP’s presence in Pembroke, highlighting the evolution of its detachment office and operations since its inception. The RCMP ‘s work in Pembroke has had a profound impact on this area, and this exhibit invites us to explore the journey of the RCMP in Pembroke and reflect on how their efforts have shaped our collective experiences here.”

He thanked Mr. Dube, retired members Al Bennett and Pam Smith, and former clerk, Pat Bennett, for their work in preserving such an important piece of the local heritage.

“Their commitment to educate the public about the RCMP’s contributions is truly commendable,” he stated. “As we unveil this exhibit today, let us celebrate the rich history of the RCMP in Pembroke and honour the sacrifice made by those who have served our communities with unwavered dedication.

He explained the Foundation was created to commercialize use of the RCMP brand and is built on licencing royalties. The funds are then redistributed back into the communities where the members serve.

 Mr. Lawton concluded with a presentation of RCMP gift sets to Mr. Blaney, Ms. Whitmore and Ms. Klimack, of the OVHC for their work in helping host the exhibit. 

Acting Staff Sergeant Darraugh of the Upper Ottawa Valley OPP detachment, congratulated Mr. Dube and his committee on the unveiling of the display.

“The showcase celebrates the rich history of RCMP in Canada and in Renfrew County,” she said. “The OPP values the working relationship which we have had and continue to have with the RCMP.”

Renfrew-Nipissing Pembroke MP Cheryl Gallant noted how the RCMP has evolved from its role in drug enforcement to cyber security, adding it would be nice to see a detachment back in the area. She noted there are a lot of people living in Pembroke today who had no idea there used to be an RCMP detachment in the community.

“It’s wonderful that you put the effort into having a special display and then promoting it so that more people in the Valley know about it, and will perhaps make a special trip this year to see this presentation.”

Small Staff Covered Wide Area

After the proceedings, Mr. Dube explained the idea for the display originated during a chance meeting between his wife, Dawn, and Mrs. Whitmore in the fall of 2023 at Schemecken Bakery in Pembroke.

“They started talking and Sylvia said they didn’t have much at the museum about the RCMP in Pembroke. So, that’ show it started basically.”

He noted Mr. Bennett was one of his constables, and his wife, Pat, was the clerk, so they gathered what they had and put it together for the display.

“And we met a retired female member who supplied us with the female uniform, and then I still had my red surge, the breaches and the boots, and the brown surge with the force cap.

“So, we borrowed mannequins from some of the clothing shops in Pembroke and put it together,” he added.

Mr. Dube said when the detachment was operating there were three officers, himself, and two constables.

“A lot of our work was drug work,” he said. “So, anytime we executed a search warrant outside of Pembroke, we’d call in the OPP for back-up.  

“If it was in the City of Pembroke, at the time, it was Pembroke Police, we called on for back-up,” he added. “Same thing with Deep River and Killaloe would be the OPP. We worked very closely with the municipal and provincial departments.”

The Pembroke detachment served all of Renfrew County and parts of Pontiac County in Quebec.

“It was over 10,000 square miles,” he noted.

Asked if there was any one thing he was especially proud of that the detachment had done during its time in Pembroke, he replied, “We got a lot of drugs off the street”.

“Some of the investigations took months to infiltrate and then, of course, when it was time to take them down, we’d execute five, six, 10 search warrants in different places. That was the highlight of my work.”

He retired in 1988 and does not know why the decision was made to close the detachment eight years later.

“A lot of the detachments in the small towns were closed,” he stated.