The RCMP in Jasper had a busy few days during the Canada Day weekend as the nine members of the detachment managed to partake in the festivities and keep a lid on things at the same time.

“It was fairly quiet. The main issue was people walking around drinking in public,” said Cpl. Tony Dolhan. RCMP issued 11 liquor tickets and one impaired driving ticket throughout the night.

“Canada Day usually tends to be a lot of people after the festivities walking around drinking. But the members do what they can to keep a lid on it,” he said. “There were no serious issues.”

Most people in Jasper were either celebrating on the national vacation, or working to get the tourist town through another busy holiday. The Jasper RCMP did a little bit of both. Although not technically working overtime, almost all of the detachment were out for the flag raising ceremony and parade, some of whom had the day off while others were finishing their night shift only to participate in the flag raising ceremony, march down Connaught Dr. and go back to work .

“The majority of the members were either on days off or on nights, that were partaking in the festivities,” said RCMP Cpl. Dolhan. “Canada Day is a big deal for the RCMP and especially for the members here. They come out on their days off and they come out even when they are working night shifts – the members who work the night shifts prior to the parade and then work again that night.’

Cpl. Dolhan said that since the RCMP are a national and international icon and symbol of Canada, the members take great pride in partaking in the ceremonies.

“It’s not a required duty, it’s just the core and respect for the country and what it represents,” he said. The flag raising ceremony is a Parks Canada and town-organized ceremony, not an RCMP event; however RCMP members are asked every year to participate.

Sgt. Dave Maludzinski, who has participated in Canada Day festivities for the last five years in Jasper and also partakes in Remembrance Day ceremonies, emphasized the high turnout of Jasper RCMP and that they all volunteer their time. “Everybody thinks that we are supposed to do that, but these are all volunteers,” he said.

“We’ve only got nine employees here, and yet we get almost everybody out there. It’s a little different from the other government agencies. We’re one hundred percent in support of the town and the community. We are out there in full force doing that, and it’s not on our work day, it’s on my own time, we’re not getting paid for it. Not that I’d want to, I enjoy doing it.”

Luckily for RCMP returning to work in the evening, that night wasn’t too out of hand.