True and Fascinating Canadian History
A Mystery of the Mounties:
Systemic Racism Amidst Its Ranks
According to reports which have been made public, (Bronskill: 2020, Hagen: 2022, Kirkup: 2021, Leuprecht: 2020, Ng, E. & A. Lam. 2020) many Canadians are of the opinion that racism exists within the ranks of the RCMP, and it seems that over the years the RCMP has done precious little to rein it in. As recent as June 2021, Globe and Mail journalist Kristy Kirkup cited a House of Commons study entitled: "Report calls for deep reforms to RCMP" which bluntly highlighted that, "Systemic racism in policing in Canada is a real and pressing problem to be urgently addressed..." Racism in the RCMP must be of prime significance for it to come to the attention of Canadian parliamentarians for study and debate. How could the RCMP allow itself to be so severely criticized?
The problem starts at the very top. In a TV interview in June 2020, RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki shocked Canadians when she said that she could not define racism! TV viewers responded sharply and to the point; they said there is racism, and the RCMP does not truly reflect Canada's diverse society. Quite clearly, very senior RCMP Officers do not recognize racism, yet this sad state of affairs is very obvious not only to parliamentarians but also to regular Canadians on the street. And yet, the Commissioner is not the only person at fault -- many other RCMP Officers in senior positions of trust including the Corps Sergeant Major have also failed to take the problem of racism to heart. One would think that the Officer Corps would be embarrassed for their failure to take direct action to overcome racism on behalf of all Canadians. Two shortfalls are very apparent which affect the efficacy of the RCMP; not nearly enough immigrants are being hired to sufficiently meet the required needs for covert police operations, and the RCMP is short of immigrants with various language skills which only newcomers can provide. Racism hurts the overall health of the RCMP for future generations.
Apparently RCMP Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablocki in Alberta is as naive about racism within RCMP ranks as Commissioner Brenda Lucki. In June 2020, while speaking at a new conference, Zablocki said, "I don't believe that racism is systemic through Canadian policing. I don't believe it's systemic through policing in Alberta." Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in Alberta was not alone when he contradicted Zablocki. Chief Adam said, "...he was beaten by RCMP officers and his wife was manhandled back in March when police stopped him for an expired licence plate in Fort McMurray." Meanwhile, comedian Adora Nwofor said she too disagreed with Zablocki. Nwofor said, "She has personally experienced two traumatic incidents of racism by police in Alberta and has heard many accounts from Black, Indigenous and other people of colour about racism during contact with police." (Dunn: 2020). Other Canadians with knowledge about racism in the RCMP also chimed in.
In the same CBC story, Eleanore Sunchild, a family lawyer who represented the Boushie family in Saskatchewan, said, "Zablocki's latest comments indicate he did not learn from the events following Boushie's death. Zablocki speaks about listening and learning. Yet he doesn't seem to be doing either," Sunchild added, "If he was listening to the voices of the Indigenous people, of the leaders, of the advocates, he would have learned about systemic racism in the justice system." One can sense the frustration felt by minority groups in Canada when senior RCMP Officers in positions of trust cannot identify racism yet Canadians all around them can compently do so. Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley added her voice. Notley said she was "shocked and surprised" to hear the deputy commissioner's comments. She told CBC News, "It's very troubling. This is someone who, in his role, would be one of the people who would be leading the efforts to combat systemic racism within the force, so if there's a thought that it's not an issue, then clearly the work we assume ought to be going on is, at the very least, not a priority." (Dunn: 2020). Interestingly, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland was asked about Zablocki's suitability for the RCMP job in Alberta? (Dunn: 2020). For the time being, he still has his spurs, but one has to wonder how some Officers such as Commissioner Lucki and Deputy Commissioner Zablocki can achieve such high rank in the RCMP, and yet they are so out of touch with major societal issues such as racism. Signs of racism in the RCMP are so pronounced that it smacks one directly in the face. Take the following example from the ranks of the RCMP.
For pronounced racism in the RCMP one only has to look at the predominant all white male composition of the Pipes and Drums Bands which has flourished for years in 8 cities across Canada. For the past 20 years, no changes in diversity are evident. The presence of all white Bands in public performances do dear little to dispel any notion that the RCMP takes racism very seriously.
over the past twenty years. Years 2000 and 2019
When one speaks of 'systemic' racism, it refers to the deliberate, intentional, sustained and ongoing refusal to include certain minorities and the RCMP's refusal to change and to act in conformity with the law. After all these years of talking about racism there does not seem to be very significant numbers of blacks, browns, Asians or fresh immigrants to Canada within RCMP ranks. A policy document published in 2021 by Public Safety Canada entitled Systemic Racism in the RCMP said this about the RCMP, "Racism is a reality that should make us each take a hard look at ourselves to understand how our words, our actions and our inactions may contribute to it." (p. 1). Understanding the hurt which is felt by minority groups for being excluded from the RCMP is a start to overhaul hiring strategies. But, much, much more can and should be done by the Commissioner and soon. The all white RCMP Pipes and Drums Bands do not represent contemporary Canadian society by any stretch. It’s time to disband the entire musical machine. The RCMP Pipes and Drums Bands damage the reputation of the RCMP, they impair modern renewal of the Force, and they hurt minorities within Canadian society who aspire to join the ranks of the RCMP, but see no hope.
Very sadly, the RCMP Pipes and Drums Bands are the principal and Canada wide advertising mechanism for the Force second only to the RCMP Musical Ride. And that's too bad. The RCMP Pipes and Drums Bands have set the RCMP back in time. One must ask, "Why has the colour or complexion of the persons in the Bands not changed over the past twenty years, and why has the RCMP's policy on racism not had any effect on the RCMP's Pipes and Drums Bands? It is apparent that the Corps Sergeant Major CSM Alan McCambridge and Commissioner Lucki are happy with the status quo, and highly protective of this outdated enterprise.
The reason for minorities not to join the RCMP is not a huge mystery and it is very apparent, but racism is a problem which every Canadian should think about and be upset about. It all boils down to two questions; first, is the RCMP making a concentrated effort to recruit persons of colour and other minorities into its ranks, and secondly, are the RCMP's policies, methods and structures so skewed and biased that young people avoid thinking about a career in the RCMP? The impact of this failure to address racism results in an increasing erosion of trust in the RCMP, and fewer recruits of colour being attracted to the RCMP. Looking to the RCMP, Canadians of colour sense a feeling of inadequacy and aloneness. In short, the RCMP is in trouble due to racism inside its ranks. In this particular area, the RCMP is not seen as a modern, dynamic and progressive organization. Just look once again at the RCMP Pipes and Drums Bands.
A comparative study of photos of the RCMP Pipes and Drums Bands follows below. One might ask, are there any substantial observations which one can make by studying the photos over time, and are visible minority Canadians proud of what they see?
Bronskill, Jim. (2020). Culture of the RCMP is toxic: Independent assessor’s report. The Canadian Press
Dunn, Carolyn. (2020). Alberta RCMP deputy commissioner denies systemic racism in policing in Canada. CBC News. June 9, 2020.
Hagen, Blair. (2022). Poll of High River Residents Shows A Dismal Lack Of Trust In RCMP.
https://nfa.ca/poll-of-high-river-residents-shows-a-dismal-lack-of-trust-in-rcmp-2/
Kirkup, Kristy. (2021). Report calls for deep reforms to RCMP. Globe & Mail Toronto, Canada.
Leuprecht, Christian. (2020). Submission Re: SECU hearings on Systemic Racism in Policing in Canada Preamble Background.
Ng, E. and A. Lam. (2020). Black lives matter: On the denial of systemic racism, White liberals, and polite racism.
Palmater, P. (2016). Shining light on the dark places: Addressing police racism and sexualized violence against Indigenous women and girls in the national inquiry. Canadian Journal of Women and the Law.
Stelkia, K. (2020). Police brutality in Canada: A symptom of structural racism and colonial violence.
Wood, Alexandre and Gail Johnson. Systemic Racism in the RCMP. June, 2020.
Reporting from Fort Healy,
J. J. Healy
August 1, 2022
