Through a chance meeting on Facebook, Sergeant Sanjesh Lal of the Richmond RCMP became friends with a retired RCMP Auxiliary member Gary Trudell, now 81 years old.
Sgt. Lal had been messaging back and forth for several months with Gary while trying to purchase an Executive Sword from him, he eventually bought the sword.
During this time, Gary told Sgt. Lal that he was also in possession of the Centennial Sword from 1973, from his days working at Jasper Detachment but was not ready to part with it as this was the only thing he had left that reminded him of his days with the RCMP.
After reminiscing about the old days of working with his friends who were regular members he said his only regret was that when he retired from the Auxiliary program, he never received any kind of parting recognition from the Force. Gary retired after marring his wife who was not all to impressed that Gary would volunteer 50 to 60 hours a week serving his community.
Sgt. Lal has stayed in touch with Gary and in July of this year, he and his wife went to visit Lake Country, Kelowna and met Gary for lunch.
During lunch, he told them how he served as an Auxiliary Member from 1973-1983 at Jasper Detachment and Highway Patrol but never became a regular member. Gary had reached out to the Force some years after but they did not have any written record from that period.
This is where Sgt. Lal decided he needed to take action and reached out to confirm with the RCMP Auxiliary Coordinator, and it was confirmed that this story was very common as back then the Force only kept written records and purged them after 5-7 years, hence no record of some Auxiliary members.
Sgt. Lal then reached out to the Auxiliary Program Coordinator in K Division (Alberta) and told them Gary’s story. This story touched those in K Division who then put together a box full of RCMP items including a recognition certificate for his Volunteer Service in K Division signed by the OIC Recruiting/Indigenous.
On September 1, 2022, at 12 P.M., Auxiliary Constable (Ret) Gary Trudell has been invited to the Kelowna RCMP Detachment where the Officer in Charge, Supt. Kara Triance will present Gary with his long overdue thank you.
“I believe Gary’s dedication to the RCMP and service to his Community of Jasper, K Division from 1973 to 1983 deserves to be recognized even after 39 years since his retirement,” said Sgt Sanjesh Lal of the Richmond RCMP.